About Meeting the Moment
Meeting the Moment was born of a global pandemic and an urgent question: How do we support Stanford students during this extraordinary time?
By way of answering that question, ORSL created a program to equip students with the meaning-making tools and practices that will allow them to meet the inevitably difficult moments with self-sovereignty and presence, and to fully inhabit the vibrantly joyful moments too.
We cultivate these capacities together through the examination of a monthly theme in a repeatable, 1-unit class called Meeting the Moment: Inner Resources for Hard Times, and expand from there.
Meeting the Moment participants are poets, philosophers, artists, and seekers. They are students and staff who co-create a dedicated time and space to consider the biggest and deepest question of all: How do we be human?
To get involved with Meeting the Moment, email Colleen Hallagan Preuninger at cpreunin@stanford.edu.
Fellows
Christopher Ward
Christopher Ward '27 - Christopher ward is a sophomore majoring in Civil Engineering. His interests include DJing, Video Games, Guitar, Anime, Calisthenics and Jiu Jitsu.
Genevieve Dandurand
Genevieve Dandurand (she/her) is a senior majoring in Product Design with an Honors in the Arts. She’s a California native, identical twin, and ocean lover! In her free time, she enjoys yoga, running, reading, creating ceramics, crafting jewelry, and spending time with her friends and family. She can’t wait to meet everyone in the course and hear all about your walks of life!
Hi`ilani Thain
Hi everyone! My name is Hi`ilani Thain. I'm a senior studying psychology and I'm from Kaua`i, HI. I'm interested in the intersection of spirituality and mental health, mindfulness and embodiment practices, and community-based solutions to... everything. I love being outdoors, creating, reading, and listening to the same songs over and over. I really look forward to creating a nourishing space with all of you!!!!
Kristen Frombach
Kristen is a 4th year PhD student in the Cancer Biology program. She was born and raised in New Jersey but has been a happy transplant to the other coast! Outside of her studies, she spends her time on a range of things that bring her joy: making things out of yarn (knitting, crocheting, or embroidering), reading as much as she can, cooking or baking, teaching cardio dance classes on campus, walking or hiking amongst the trees, and—of course—connecting with loved ones. If you spy her on campus she likely has a book in her hand or is staring at a plant trying to find a snail or bird—either way, come talk to her! She is so excited to meet you all and loves to talk and connect.
Monica Tavassoli
Monica Tavassoli is a coterm/master’s student in the Doerr School of Sustainability. She was raised in Santa Ana, CA and loves exploring the natural beauty of the Golden State. Her passions and hobbies include hiking, biking, dancing (trained in classical ballet for 10 years!), cooking, baking with her sourdough starter, and listening to a wide range of music genres. She is interested in the cross-intersection of accessible housing and holistic well-being. You can find her on the football field with the Stanford Axe Committee, around campus hosting events with the Stanford Alumni Council, or volunteering at the Stanford Farm. She is a former student of Meeting the Moment, and is so excited to be part of this beautiful journey alongside you all!
2024-2025 Staff
Colleen Hallagan Preuninger
Colleen Hallagan Preuninger serves as Associate Dean for Religious & Spiritual Life and Director of Student Engagement in the Office for Religious Life. She is an ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church and a member of the Upper New York Annual Conference. Colleen is passionate about exploring the intersections of life, love, and deeply held values. She understands her role on the Meeting the Moment team as one who holds space, asks thoughtful questions, as she journeys with each cohort of student fellows as poets, philosophers, artists, storytellers, scientists, and engineers. She loves to feed people, belly laugh, and watch Miyazaki movies. Her pockets are always full of stones and shells. She is most herself when she is traveling. She holds a B.A. in German Language and Literature from Hamilton College, Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, and Doctor of Ministry from Wesley Theological Seminary.
Diane Friedlaender
Diane Friedlaender is Associate Director of Stanford Living Education (SLED) and heads the Leadership and Social Change (LEAD) program within it. Diane supports SLED’s commitment to holistic and integrative pedagogy and formative research. Prior to her work at SLED, Diane led case study education research at the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education (SCOPE), where she spent 15 years researching and telling the stories of educational change and schools that served low-income, and students of color well. She also has years of experience documented the power of arts integration as a tool for social justice in schools that serve low-income communities of color. Diane has a B.A. from UCSD in Anthropology and a Ph.D. from UCLA in Education Policy. Although her parents had no affiliation with Stanford, Diane has spent much of her life here, where she learned to ride her bike in the quad and to drive a stick shift VW bus in the parking lot.
Diane is committed to infusing humanity into our educational systems and explores holistic ways to support students’ development across social-emotional, creative, spiritual, physical, and cognitive dimensions. Diane believes deeply that through introspection and self-knowledge each of us can tap into and share our unique gifts to a world in need of our love and humanity. Diane is thrilled and humbled to join the Meeting the Moment Team that she has watched flourish over the years.
Kenneth N. Lee (Kula Pradipa Das)
Kenneth Nacario Lee (Kula Pradipa Das) serves as Chaplain Associate of Religious & Spiritual Life and working as the Universal Enlightenment and Flourishing chaplain for ORSL. An initiated priest (purohit/pujari) in the Gaudiya Vaishnava (Hindu Bhakti) Tradition, Ken has served as a pujari and purohit in the Bhakti Center NYC and other temples in the Northeastern United States. Ken comes from a health care chaplaincy background receiving his clinical pastoral care training from the Institute of Clinical Pastoral Care at University Hospital located in the heart of Newark, New Jersey. He is a graduate of Rutgers University and holds a degree in Psychology and Religion.
Marissa Floro
Marissa Floro is the Interim Co-Director of Stanford’s Weiland Health Initiative that promotes mental health and wellness across the spectrum of gender identities and attractions through education, training and clinical services at Stanford and beyond. Her main research interests have explored the intersections of race, attraction, gender, and sex. She currently provides therapy, facilitates workshops, leads advocacy projects, teaches academic courses, and publishes mental health content primarily focusing on the experiences of queer folx of color and pathways towards liberation. As a RYT200 yoga teacher and sex therapist, she also integrates ideas of embodiment, pleasure, and connection into her work. She received her bachelor's degree in Classics and Renaissance studies from UC Santa Barbara, an MA in Counseling Psychology from Boston College, and a PhD in Counseling Psychology from Loyola University Chicago.