606 students graduated from 53 countries during MUM’s 2019 commencement ceremony on June 22, the largest class in university history. These included 389 computer science master’s students, and 50 students from the Maharishi Institute in Johannesburg. The largest number of graduates came from Nepal (126), followed by the US (102) and Ethiopia (59).

Chicago educator Nakisha Hobbs gave the commencement address. Ms. Hobbs cofounded and directs the Village Leadership Academy in Chicago, a kindergarten through 8th-grade school with 700 students, whose focus is to transform urban youth into global leaders and which incorporates the Transcendental Meditation^® program. (Watch a video about the Village Leadership Academy, made by 2019 graduate Shannon Ryan here).

Ms. Hobbs is a fourth-generation educator. She holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a master’s in early childhood education from Roosevelt University.

Ms. Hobbs is associate director of the Office of Early Childhood Development in the Illinois Department of Human Services, where she oversees a $1.3 billion budget. She directs state policy to ensure equitable access to high quality early childhood experiences for Illinois children.

In her speech, Ms. Hobbs described her school as setting high academic expectations, offering small classrooms and individual support, and including a social justice curriculum with an annual trip to a foreign country.

“Nothing in life is ever happening to you; everything in life is always happening for you,” said Ms. Hobbs, offering some of the lessons she learned in life. Based on her experience, she advised graduates to look at adversities as opportunities that are part of life’s adventure. She also encouraged students to stay true to the desires in their hearts that will guide them towards their destinies.

“I just want to remind you all that you have been equipped with everything that you need to be successful in this world. By engaging in the act of transcendence, you have and will continue to transform yourself as an individual. You will transform your community, you will transform your nations, and you will transform our world. I truly believe deep within my heart that each and every one of you in this room is destined for greatness.”

During the ceremony, MUM President John Hagelin presented Ms. Hobbs with an honorary doctoral degree in education for her lifelong service and groundbreaking contribution to the field of education.

Honorary doctoral degrees were also awarded to Chris Wege, whose family foundation has contributed over $1.9 million to the university, and MUM Trustee and 2003 alumna Laura Wege, who has helped facilitate contributions of the Wege Foundation.

During the Graduation Awards Ceremony the night before, Deepak Baskota, a former member of Parliament and Minister for Home Affairs in Nepal, also received an honorary doctorate for his work leading his country’s Transcendental Meditation organization.

Thursday evening, MUM also presented Navin Doshi, renowned aerospace engineer, philanthropist, author, and Vedic scholar with an honorary doctorate for being a leading proponent of India’s Vedic heritage and its role in the modern world.

Watch the video of the commencement ceremony here.

On June 8 MUM held another successful ChangeMakers event, this time focusing on “How to Manifest Your Great Ideas.”

The morning event, “Becoming a Transformative Entrepreneur,” opened with Kevin Harrington sharing secrets of his success via Skype. He is the inventor of the Infomercial format and one of the original “sharks” on the hit TV show Shark Tank. Kathryn Frazier, known as the “rock star whisperer,” whose clients include Justin Bieber and Lauren Hill, spoke next about her journey of building a successful PR business in the music industry and becoming a life coach. Former London financial trader Mar Michelle Häusler talked about her path to social entrepreneurship. (Read more about the guest speakers here.)

The afternoon session, “Becoming a Big Fish,” took the form of a Shark Tank-like event, where five students pitched their business ideas in three minutes. Presented by MUM’s Concept to Market Institute, the session started with a keynote speech by special guest Joe Sugarman, copywriting and direct marketing legend.

Over 25 students submitted business plans to the judges. The five finalists included four MUM students and one Maharishi School student. The panel of judges included Kathryn Frazier, Mar Michelle Häusler, Joe Sugarman, venture capitalist Peter Janssen, and business strategist Dennis Roland. Students also received written feedback from Kevin Harrington.

The first prize of $1000 went to Corine Brooks, who presented her project called Sustainable Roots Therapeutic Ranch. Maharishi School student Sophia Malik took the second prize of $750 for her idea of an education exchange website that would match up tutors with students. Third, fourth, and fifth place winners were Ben Soukup, Musiliu Bolaji, and Jeremy Erdman, who each received $500. In addition, each of the five students and the two alternates (Shristi Sharma and Anthony Hernandez) received a $500 scholarship to MUM.

“I think the event was wonderful!” said Corine Brooks. “It was a great experience and an opportunity to show what I’m working on for the community. Sustainable Roots Therapeutic Ranch is getting the community support I hoped to receive, and this event helped move it along.”

The event hosts included MUM PhD student, actress, and former TV host Shawn Diddy, and ChangeMakers organizer Michael Sternfeld. The ChangeMakers series is sponsored by MUM, the David Lynch Foundation, and the Abramson Center for Peace.

In addition to the main event, students organized a ChangeMakers Month with a series of workshops to help students take practical steps toward realizing their dreams. Students who helped organize the month were also part of the Saturday event, introducing speakers and interviewing them.

Watch the individual talks and the full-length event videos here.

MUM graduate Donna Cleveland divides her time between creating multimedia content for Fairfield-based iPhone Lifemagazine and producing a feminist podcast for women.

Donna grew up in Fairfield, attended Maharishi School, and graduated from MUM in 2008 with a BA in Media and Communications. She went on to earn a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Iowa. After working as a correspondent for the Cedar Rapids Gazette and a staff writer at the Fairfield Ledger, she joined iPhone Life magazine, where she is now editor in chief.

She is in charge of coordinating the print magazine content and contributes to creating video guides, live online classes, and a podcast for the publications’s expanding audience. Donna enjoys helping the company grow and finding creative and fun ways to help people get more out of their iPhones. She is also excited about being part of the Fairfield community and creating jobs for MUM graduates.

While holding a full-time job for the past six years, Donna has also also written about women’s issues, health, and the environment for various magazines. Her latest project is Thread the Needle, a podcast that uses personal stories and expert interviews to explore where feminist ideals meet the realities of women’s lives. She will be releasing the first season in late 2019.

“A few years ago I fell in love with podcasts,” she said. “They offer an enjoyable way to learn things, experiment with creative storytelling, and improve my interviewing and editing skills.”

Donna discovered her passion for journalism at MUM during a travel writing class with professor Nynke Passi. She was also inspired by Stuart Tanner’s class on narrative, which influenced her career decision to become a writer. She appreciated the support and freedom to create her own projects at MUM and learning the multimedia storytelling skills she uses today in her job.

Donna grew up practicing the Transcendental Meditation^®technique and she is grateful for having a tool to manage stress. “Now that I have more to juggle in my life, meditation is really helpful, along with yoga asanas,” she said.

Daniela Hillman Robles grew up in Mexico and attended Maharishi School for a year as an exchange student. She enjoyed the supportive environment and fell in love with creative writing. When it was time to choose a college, she decided to return to Fairfield.

“There is something very characteristic about the Maharishi School teachers, which I thankfully also experience here at MUM—they are very passionate about what they do and they care about the students,” said Daniela.

Daniela is in her third year now and has been accepted into the BFA in Creative and Professional Writing program. She enjoys writing poetry and creative non-fiction using her family relationships and upbringing in Mexico as material.

She found that the practice of the Transcendental Meditation^®technique has helped her as a writer. “TM allows me to be fully myself and to be able to express myself and create so much from it,” she said.

Daniela also enjoys working with people and being part of a team. First she joined the Queer Coalition club, where she became president. She was instrumental in the club’s initiative to create gender inclusive housing on campus by conducting student surveys and communicating LGBTQ students’ needs to the university’s administration.

Next she joined Student Government, where she serves as secretary. “There is no small leadership role for me,” she said. “It’s really rewarding to be part of the cohesiveness and seeing that everyone brings their full potential.”

In her free time, Daniela also volunteers with a Chicago nonprofit organization that is engaged in community building. She is responsible for writing their newsletter, managing their social media pages, and promoting events. After graduating from MUM, Daniela wants to pursue a graduate degree in creative writing.

The three December graduates of MUM’s MA in Studio Art are all starting highly ranked MFA programs this fall. They all received full tuition assistance and two of them have living expenses covered.

The goal of the MA is to give artists who are hoping to enter an MFA program the opportunity to spend a year developing their work, assembling a strong portfolio, and receiving guidance from faculty on applying to graduate programs.

“Their success is due to a combination of being receptive and hardworking and of course talented,” said Professor Gyan Shrosbree. “We help them with picking schools, photographing their work, writing essays and artists’ statements, as well as helping them practice interviews and presentations.”

Caroline Lichucki chose the University of Oregon, based on the engaging work the faculty and students produce. In addition to full tuition, she was offered a paid teaching internship for the duration of her studies. She plans to push herself to expand her creative horizons and produce a large body of work. “MUM’s MA in Studio Art granted me the opportunity to be pushed beyond my comfort zone and grow beyond creative limitations,” she said.

Genevra Bell will be heading to the University of California, Davis to study studio art. She hopes to continue her work on installation, sculpture, and video. The fellowship she received will provide her with full tuition assistance and a monthly stipend.

“The professors, Jim Shrosbree, Gyan Shrosbree, and Sean Downey, were incredible,” she said. “The program allowed me to create a portfolio and also work on my artist’s statement and theory, which was necessary when applying to schools. I 100 percent would not have gotten into the grad schools I wanted to attend without having done this MA.”

Genevra also noted the contribution of the Transcendental Meditation^® technique to her success. “Coming to the studio clearheaded is essential for my ability to be productive,” she said. “My TM practice is a critical tool for clearing out the stress and letting me get to work.”

Younes Kouider received a full tuition scholarship to attend Yale University, which he chose from five schools based on its accomplished art faculty and its friendly and competitive environment. He will continue his work on sculpture. “The MUM MA in Studio Art helped me tremendously to get the confidence, the groundedness, the technical knowledge, and the understanding of both the practice of art and the current art world,” he said.

In addition, Younes also received a scholarship to attend the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine for nine weeks in the summer of 2020. Established in 1946, Skowhegan is a prestigious and intensive residency program for emerging visual artists.