Bonnie (she, her) has been studying Buddhism and practicing vipassana meditation for over twenty years, having had the privilege to sit retreats with Sri Lankan, Tibetan, Zen, and Chan Buddhist teachers. She looks forward to applying her nearly three decades of experience teaching and mentoring college and graduate students to serve as an Inward Bound certified mindfulness teacher in the Contemplative Semester experience. Spending time in wild places with beyond-human friends, making music with other humans, and practicing qigong, Tai Chi, and yoga feeds her spirit. Contemplative practices for Bonnie are acts of connection, resistance, resilience, love, and freedom.

Arjuna received a BA summa cum laude in religious studies from Rutgers University and a MFA in cinema arts and film directing from Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema. He has been studying and practicing Buddhism in various settings, including monasteries and retreat centers in the States, Sri Lanka, India, Nepal and England. He was a student of, and later a teaching assistant at, Antioch University/ Carleton College's Buddhist Studies in Bodh Gaya program. Bodh Gaya continues to have a formative impact on him. His primary interests are: the development of the contemplative life; interreligious experience; the place of art and aesthetics in spiritual life; the role of spiritual practice in relationships; and living in a re-enchanted, sacred cosmos. Presently, he has been exploring community and will be joining a long-term program of learning, living, and exploring in an ecovillage in Portugal. He strives, most of all, to live a life surrendered in love and devotion.

Maya (she/her) envisions a world where unconditional love and fierce ethical accountability converge. She hails from Brooklyn, NY and is pursuing a PhD in Urban Education at the CUNY Graduate Center. After graduating from the Harvard Teacher Fellows' founding cohort, she taught 7th grade history for six years, coached humanities teachers, and continues to mentor early career teachers through the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Maya's research explores teacher mentorship, community, and trauma-informed mindfulness as tools for transforming cycles of harm. Maya aspires to participate in educational havens of belonging that allow educators and students to bring their authentic selves. She is a graduate of the Inward Bound Mindfulness Teacher Training, and continues to train in Nonviolent Communication and Somatic Experiencing (a trauma healing therapeutic modality).

Shea (he/him) is a somatic therapist, meditation and communication teacher from Brooklyn, NY. Shea fell in love with the dharma when he was 19, and has practiced deeply in Insight, Zen and Plum Village Buddhist lineages for 16 years. Shea is currently a member of the Spirit Rock Community Dharma Leaders (CDL) program. He feels immense meaning, purpose and joy supporting young people’s access to the dharma, helping lead programs he wishes he had when he was a young adult. He has worked with Inward Bound Mindfulness since 2017, serving as Mentor, Mental Health Coordinator, and now Teacher. Shea co-founded the Contemplative Semester and teaches meditation, Nonviolent Communication (NVC) and conflict transformation during the semester. At home Shea builds community through co-leading the Brooklyn Insight sangha, facilitating with All Kings, a mens healing group centering justice-impacted men, and supporting community conflict transformation with the NY Peace Institute.

Sarah (she/her) is a project-based learning specialist, liberatory design enthusiast, and abolitionist educator—committed to co-creating student-centered communities that foster holistic thriving. A former classroom teacher, she began cultivating her mindfulness practice during those formative years, finding grounding in meditation, yoga, and ancestral veneration. With over a decade of experience as an educator and leader, Sarah integrates mindfulness into her work, creating spaces that honor healing, curiosity, and collective liberation. Her spiritual practice is rooted in deep listening and connection to lineage, inviting others to explore what it means to live in right relationship with themselves and their communities. 

James (he/him) is a student of life with roots in Quakerism, Theravada Buddhism, and Catholic mysticism. James has trained and served as a spiritual care provider, meditation teacher, preacher, and facilitator of workshops and retreats in hospital, college, congregational, and other settings. James feels most energized working with young adults who, like everyone else, are just trying to find their way in a confusing world! On the CS, you'll find him teaching discernment practices to help us connect with our deepest source of guidance, and skipping around campus (his favorite way of getting around).

Angela (she/her) has been involved with CS since 2023. She began her work leading the Student Discernment Circle and helping with outreach. In Fall 2024, Angela was a student on the program, where she deepened her practice, reconnected with Mother Nature, and was wholeheartedly supported by the sangha to remain true to her authentic path. Angela is currently supporting the program through staff collaboration, student recruitment, and serving as an ambassador, sharing her passion and belief in what this program makes possible.

During this next session of C.S., Angela will be a residential assistant and a steady presence of love, appreciation, and clarity for both staff and students. Angela feels blessed to be part of a program that is actualizing a safe, supportive space for young people to be exposed to Buddhist meditation, earth connection, and living in sangha.

Spencer Huang is a CS alum and will be a residential assistant on the ‘26 semester. Spencer practices meditation in the Vipassana and Zen traditions. He finds deep soothing and wisdom in both lineages and their contemporary communities. He hopes to channel his contemplative practice towards his Somatic Experiencing and Internal Family Systems relational healing practices.

He is curious about the shamanic practices stewarded by the Indigenous people of contemporary Northeast America. He has a strong sense that these practices will play a vital role in his and his community's long-term health and happiness as creatures of Earth. He is also very excited to keep learning about the Maternal Gift Economy and Needs-based consciousness from Miki Kashtan, Genevieve Vaughan, and other teachers. He is integrating more and more of such heart orientations into his daily life.  

His recent favorite read is the Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Like Robin, he wishes to learn from and appreciate the more-than-human beings of our world.

At CS, Aditya is the Operations Lead, supporting the inner workings of the program. He will also be a full time residential staff, living and practicing with the community.

Aditya likes to write, advocate, meditate, and help others meditate. He writes about mental health, AI, and veganism on his blog and runs a meditation accountability buddy program called PausePal. He also advocates for animal rights. You can learn more on his website.

He studied political science and econ at Clemson for undergrad. For his master's degree, he studied public policy at Carnegie Mellon. He dropped out after a year to work on IT project management at McKinsey. After three years, he took a two year career break to deepen his meditation practice and clarify his long term career plans. He cumulatively spent around 45 days on silent meditation retreats. Additionally, he temporarily ordained as a Theravada Buddhist monk in Malaysia for three months.