Monday, September 3, 2012

draft grad school letter


            My name is Jared Levenson and I’m a senior at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. I’m seeking to find a graduate school program, perhaps in Education or Psychology, which would allow me to research and study the emerging mindfulness and meditation movement and its application to education, healthcare, or similar environment. Ultimately I would like to pursue a career path that enables others to benefit from mindfulness and meditation. My question is this: are there any graduate programs in the US which are focused on meditation and/or mindfulness? If not, are there other options that come close? And lastly, who else should I contact?

            I began meditating regularly in high school and since then have tried to apply mindfulness to all aspects of my life. Meditation and mindfulness clicked with me because I experienced their benefits firsthand and knew others could as well. This understanding helped me continue daily meditation and mindfulness throughout college (my roommates didn’t mind). During summers I spent a couple months at Tassajara (a Zen monastery in California), partook in a 10 day Vipassana Course, and stayed 2 weeks at a forest monastery in Thailand. I created a weekly meditation club as well, The Zen and Meditation Club.

            I am starting to piece together the puzzle of my future. I should’ve started earlier, but really, I didn’t discover this passion until junior year when I took a psychology class and realized I could do something like that for a living. The Psychology minor and research assistant experience I’ve since picked up have also influenced me. It’s taken me awhile to find what I wanted to do with my life but now that I know, I truly know. I am committed, determined, extremely passionate and motivated.  

            Thanks for taking the time to help me out. Any advice or information you have is genuinely appreciated.

Sincerely,

Jared Levenson

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