MIU student Molly Duff finished her MA in Studio Art in December and will be attending the MFA program at the University of Southern Florida, Tampa, in the fall. Molly will receive a full scholarship, a paid teaching assistantship, and a stipend for the entire length of the program.

Molly studied printmaking, ceramics, and sculpture at Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After getting her undergraduate degree in 2016, she completed a 200-hour yoga teacher certification program in Costa Rica. That was her first exposure to Vedic science and Ayurveda, and when she saw an ad for MIU, she became curious.

In 2018 she decided to return to school, and MIU’s MA in Studio Art appealed to her. During a Visitors Weekend she met students and faculty and was impressed by the success of previous graduates securing MFA scholarships at prestigious graduate schools.

“The program was fantastic,” she said. “The faculty members are incredibly knowledgeable about art history, as well as the contemporary art world. They do a good job of catering to each individual student and making sure they are exposed to artists that relate to their work.”

Molly was grateful for having her own private studio space, as well as being able to build a portfolio and prepare for her MFA application. She enjoyed the integration of the Transcendental Meditation^® technique into the daily routine, which helped her become regular with her practice. “Transcendental Meditation is a beautiful tool for any artist,” said Molly. “It clears your mind and allows you to drop into a creative space.”

In the future Molly would like to teach art and incorporate the philosophy of yoga and the practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique. “Having TM incorporated into the curriculum offers a lot of growth, especially in the creative field,” she said. “It helps with trusting your intuition and being able to freely explore without inhibitions to find something new that works in creating this artistic language for yourself.”

While staying at home in Michigan during the summer, Molly is leading a yoga teacher certification training for some of the staff and faculty members at MIU.

Heather Carlisle is a licensed cosmetologist and massage therapist from Algona, Iowa, with 24 years of experience. Although she lives only four hours away from Fairfield, she had never heard of MIU until ads for the university started showing up on her Facebook feed. She had wanted to get her bachelor’s degree and she found MIU intriguing. She came to a Visitors Weekend in July 2018 and registered two weeks later.

Heather was interested in Maharishi AyurVeda^® and decided to create an individualized major, which she called integrated health and personal development. She wanted to incorporate the Transcendental Meditation^® and TM-Sidhi^® programs into her degree because she really enjoyed attending the group practice on campus.

For her senior project, she completed two months of full-time research in consciousness, systematically documenting the effects of sleep and diet on her meditation. “It was the most wonderful and healing experience that I could ever have,” said Heather. “It was life-changing. I believe that now, in this chaotic world, having a tool to center yourself can shift your entire life experience.”

Heather has completed her courses and is graduating this summer. She has returned to work at a SmartStyle hair salon in Spencer, Iowa, where she was recently promoted to territory manager. She wants to use the knowledge she gained through her degree to develop and empower the employees of the three salons she oversees. “I would like to be able to keep my stylists healthy, and my goal is to bring my boss to MIU,” she said.

While she cannot give health recommendations in the salon, she often shares her own experiences of Ayurveda and MIU with her clients and co-workers. In her massage practice, she is now using the pulse reading technique to assess her clients’ well-being.

MIU student Jessica Mauro has a wide range of interests, including medicine as well as the visual and performing arts. While studying graphic design and 3D animation at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, she saw an ad for MIU. She was drawn to the university’s Consciousness-Based^SM approach, the integration of the Transcendental Meditation^® program in the curriculum, and the focus on the individual student and her learning process.

“I didn’t feel like my goals were attainable by getting a degree from another college,” she said. “Here you can develop yourself and focus on what you want to gain out of the knowledge.”

Jessica is working towards a major in Ayurveda wellness and integrative health and a minor in Maharishi Vedic Science^SM. Her desire is to facilitate people’s healing through an integrative process of mind/body medicine and empower them to work towards their health goals. In order to do that, she wants to study spiritual counseling after graduating next summer.

As her work-study assignment, Jessica has been involved with the ChangeMakers initiative, helping to organize and host events, design posters, and work on marketing. As a musician and performer, she enjoys producing events, working with fellow students, and being inspired by the guest speakers. Last December she was one of two students rewarded for their contributions with an all-expenses-paid trip to the Women of Vision event produced by the David Lynch Foundation in New York City.

Jessica has always been working on self-development, and finds that both her personal growth and academic performance have been accelerated since coming to MIU. “Consciousness-Based education and TM help me integrate the knowledge I learn in class so I can be proficient with it in the long run,” she said.

In the future, Jessica wants to integrate her creative and artistic pursuits into her career and be able to work as an entrepreneur in all of her professions.

When Chinese students heard about MIU’s need for personal protective equipment (PPE) due to the COVID-19 pandemic, several of them stepped up by donating masks. PhD student Yong Xu has sent 50 face shields, 500 KN95 masks, and four infrared thermometers from China. He has also donated 2,000 disposable surgical masks, with 500 already received and the rest on the way. Mr. Xu is a business owner who is completing his PhD in management at MIU’s Shanghai China program. He heard about MIU’s need for masks from Professor Scott Herriott during a class.

“With the deepening of my study, I have learned more about Maharishi International University,” said Mr. Xu. “I think it is a magical university, and I like its teaching characteristics of developing human wisdom and its educational concept of harmonious coexistence between man and nature. I hope the global outbreak will be over as soon as possible, and I wish Maharishi International University well, to pass on good education to more people.”

MBA student Yi (Erin) Zhang has donated 2,000 disposable masks. Due to customs issues, she had to send the masks in 20 different shipments to 20 individuals at MIU, and they all have arrived. Both students have gone to great length to send their shipments, in spite of various customs and shipping restrictions.

Here is what Yi said about her inspiration: “Because of the severe epidemic in China, masks became scarce. At that time, MIU sent us masks from the United States, which was very touching. Furthermore, MIU has built an excellent learning platform for us, and classes have not been suspended during the epidemic. Sending these masks is a trivial expression of my gratitude.”

The surgical masks are provided to students who have off-campus doctors’ appointments, to faculty members who have to travel home after teaching here, and for students returning to campus from home. Masks have also been distributed to employees in the mailroom and food service. MIU faculty member Yunxiang Zhu also proactively purchased 200 KN95 masks for the MIU clinic in February.

“These supplies are very difficult to find in the US, and we were very excited to receive them,” said Vina Miller, head of the nurses’ office at the campus clinic.

In addition, MS in computer science student Longxiang Xiao contributed 600 masks that have been distributed to students through Student Activities. Longxiang first initiated a fundraiser in March, soon after the outbreak in Wuhan, China. He not only raised $2,500, but he also purchased the masks and found a shipping agent and a volunteer group to distribute the masks in hospitals in Wuhan. When a month later MIU was in need of surgical masks, he began a second fundraiser among his Chinese friends to purchase masks for MIU students.

“The Chinese have a saying: ‘The grace of dripping water should be reciprocated by a gushing spring,’” said Longxiang. “MIU students, teachers, and staff helped Chinese hospitals before, when they were in a very bad situation, so it was time for us to help you!”

The Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) recently awarded prestigious scholarships to nine MIU students to facilitate passing the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) exam. The nine students are in the MBA Accounting and MBA SAP Finance programs and were nominated by the accounting department.

Scholarship recipients are Habtu Dessie, Wajahat Zahir, Lake Kebie, Ram Neupane, Lianyan Huang, Merveille A Djappi Tiani, Md Tamjid Alam Adnan, Sharmila Shrestha, and Rasoul Nowroozi. The students come from various countries, including Cambodia, Pakistan, China, Ethiopia, and Nepal.

“MIU’s MBA program not only gave me solid knowledge about SAP information systems, but also prepared me for the US working environment,” said Lianyan Huang. “The CMA credential is very valuable in my home country, with respect and great salary. I appreciate the opportunity that the IMA gave me and the help MIU offered.”

Recipients of the CMA scholarship receive a comprehensive package of benefits, including a three-year IMA membership, waived registration and first attempt exam fees, access to exam support package, and the Wiley CMA study resources, with a total value of $3,000. The IMA has 90,000 members in 140 countries worldwide. The CMA is recognized globally as an important certificate for corporate and nonprofit accounting.

“Coming from Nepal and studying at Maharishi University with the benefit of the Transcendental Meditation technique helped me to excel in the knowledge in accounting and finance module. With the CMA scholarship, I believe I can enhance my cognitive ability in accounting and apply the knowledge gained in the professional field,” said Ram Neupane.

CMA review courses are part of the MIU curriculum. While pursuing an MBA degree, students have the opportunity to prepare for and earn the CMA credential.

“It gives me immense pleasure and satisfaction that two years ago I made the right decision of joining MIU, since its MBA program for professionals offers a perfect blend of theory and practical training,” said Wajahat Zahir. “The accounting faculty is exceedingly learned and proficient at their subjects and opened new vistas of knowledge and understanding of accounting. Besides, I’ve recently been awarded the coveted IMA scholarship for completing my CMA certification. This inspires me to expand my horizons and strive for excellence.”

Most of the scholarship recipients have already concluded their on-campus studies and are currently completing their two-year paid practical training with US companies.

MIU student Ethel Paris introduced and helped organize the African American Culture Series, the first African American celebration at MIU. Held during Black History Month in February, the series included presentations about the influence of African American music in America, famous black scientists and inventors, and the black resistance movement, where Ethel gave a talk about her time in the Black Panther Party in the 1960s.

Ethel joined the Black Panther Party at age 18 in Oakland, California, looking for a way to be part of a community and feel empowered about her heritage. But she soon became disillusioned with the leadership and left the party.

She wanted to change her life and decided to become vegetarian. She soon began practicing yoga, and eventually became a yoga teacher. She has taught free yoga classes in community centers and recreational centers for over 30 years in her hometown of Philadelphia, and later became a massage therapist. Ethel says she has been on a spiritual path for 45 years.

A few years ago, she heard about MIU from an alumna friend. Ethel never attended college, so she was concerned about keeping up. But the block system of one course at a time and her desire to learn Maharishi AyurVeda^SM made her eager to enroll.

When Ethel arrived on campus, she felt at ease right away. “I could feel a different energy; it was very life-supporting and things just started happening,” she said. She learned the Transcendental Meditation^® and TM-Sidhi^® programs, and experienced even more support of nature as well as emotional and mental stability.

“What I had experienced before as a yogi was turning myself off from the world totally,” Ethel said. “That was a different path. With TM, I can be in the world and also be able to deal with it.”

Ethel is graduating this summer with a BA in Ayurveda Wellness and Integrative Health. She wants to return to Philadelphia and work as an Ayurveda consultant.