MIU student Olivia Seidel is one of ten students nationwide who will spend nine weeks this summer at CERN, the world’s largest particle physics laboratory, in Switzerland. She was selected from a thousand applicants, based on her resume and her philosophical approach to science.

Olivia grew up in Connecticut, and became interested in consciousness in middle school. She wanted to understand it through science, so she decided to study neuroscience. But while taking science courses at a community college in Boulder, she saw a video of the famous double-slit experiment, which demonstrates how the act of observation changes the behavior of photons. “The fact that the consciousness of the observer could affect reality made me question everything,” she said.

Olivia switched her focus to physics and soon discovered the unified field theory and the work of John Hagelin. “The idea that consciousness is everything really resonated with me,” she said. When she learned that Dr. Hagelin was the president of MIU, she decided to enroll and study physics.

During her two years at MIU, Olivia has noticed improvements in many aspects of her life as a result of the practice of the Transcendental Meditation® technique. “My focus definitely increased,” she said. “I learned to take breaks and meditate, so when I study I am more effective.”

Olivia is pursuing an individualized major and will graduate in December with a major in physics and a minor in computer science. Her goal is to earn a PhD and become a theoretical physicist. Her current interest is the integration of subjectivity into the scientific method.

“All of our scientific method is based on the theory that you can eliminate subjectivity,” said Olivia. “The separation between objective and subjective isn’t that clear-cut, and there is no such thing as complete objectivity. So we might as well integrate the concept of subjectivity into the way we are doing research. In the future I hope to come up with a measure for subjectivity.”

In 2015 Jeremy Erdman was looking for a college to attend when he discovered a video of David Lynch on MIU’s YouTube channel. Jeremy admires Mr. Lynch’s bold and unique style of storytelling and the diversity of his artistic expression. Since Jeremy is a highly creative person and aspiring filmmaker, he became inspired and drove overnight from Idaho to visit campus. After a quick tour, he drove home and applied to MIU.

Jeremy is graduating this June with a BFA in creative writing. During his time at MIU, he explored many of his creative interests, including photography, videography, architecture, industrial design, graphic and Web design. He has also acquired numerous paying clients for his services.

In addition, Jeremy took the Concept to Market Institute’s semester in creative entrepreneurship and came up with a business idea for a portable computer stand and other accessories. In June 2019 he participated in an MIU ChangeMakers contest, where he was one of five finalists to pitch their business ideas to investors in a Shark Tank-like competition.

In the fall he entered another contest sponsored by ChangeMakers, and his winning essay earned him an all-expenses-paid trip to a David Lynch Foundation benefit concert featuring Katie Perry.

As someone with eclectic pursuits, Jeremy enjoys the diversity of the MIU student body. At the same time, he appreciates the peaceful atmosphere and the opportunities for introspection, which are essential for his ability to invent and create. “The Transcendental Meditation technique taught me the value of silence and solitude, self-care and self-love,” he said. “It’s a good tool when things get crazy.”

Jeremy’s goal is to obtain a graduate degree in film and write and direct movies. He is also continuing to pursue his business ideas for various products. “I want to create and leave a legacy in multiple ways,” he said.

Edwin Bwambale is from the Bukonzo tribe in western Uganda and earned his MS in data communications and software engineering from Makerere University in 2013. He was working as a software developer in Uganda and wanted a low-cost high-quality master’s degree program in software development.

In 2016 he heard about MIU’s Computer Professionals Program and, after a friend of his joined, he enrolled in August 2016. When Edwin praised MIU to his parents in Uganda, they decided that all of their five sons should attend MIU.
“My parents were very loving and really inspired us to work hard and aim towards greater success,” he said. “Even when they were not rich, they created an environment that made us cultivate bigger ambitions. They consistently talked to us and mentored us even after we were out of university.”

Edwin graduated in 2018 and currently works at Microsoft. “Making the decision to join MIU is the best self-rewarding decision I have ever made in my life,” said Edwin. “It provided a conducive environment to pursue my education as well as prepared me to be able to deliver world-class performance in my career. What you can achieve with the MIU opportunity is only limited by your imagination. I can confidently say that it is one of the best professional programs I have ever seen or heard of.”

Edwin’s brother Cleave Masareka joined the ComPro Program in October 2016 and is now working for Apple. “ComPro is not just a master’s program, but a life-changing integrated course,” said Cleave. ”All my friends I studied with at MIU got good jobs and are all living happily.”

Their third brother, Harrison Thembo, joined the Accounting Professionals MBA program in 2019 and is currently completing his curricular practical training at Silicon Valley Financial Group. “I am now working with one of the best accounting firms in Silicon Valley as a staff accountant,” he said. “I never imagined that choosing MIU would be this fruitful and I am forever grateful for the Consciousness-Based education that this school provides.”

Two of Edwin’s brothers are still in Uganda. Idine Membere is planning to enroll in the Accounting MBA program in 2020, and Godwin Tusime is currently completing his bachelor’s degree in information technology and plants to join MIU afterwards.

MIU student David Ford is a paramedic who moved to Fairfield five years ago with his wife and three children. Last year, after 20 years in the health care field, he decided to make a career change and study sustainable living. When he learned that MIU had a degree program in sustainable living, he visited campus, talked to some of the students, and two weeks later enrolled.

David is a man of many talents and interests. He enjoys woodworking and metalworking and makes custom knives, axes, and jewelry, as well as homeopathic skin care products for men, which he sells on his website Mad Man Essentials.

In addition to studying full time, David runs the MIU MakerSpace workshop and helps maintain a local greenhouse, which he and his classmates restored and began operating during a three-month class in global solutions.

As a combat veteran of the US Navy, David had learned a form of guided meditation to help with his insomnia. Learning the Transcendental Meditation^® technique has stabilized his life and changed the atmosphere of his home. “One of the first things I noticed was how TM affected my family life,” he said. “My kids can pick up on my anxiety, but with TM I don’t bring it home. My house is more tranquil and my kids are more relaxed.”

David doesn’t like to let limitations discourage him from taking on new challenges. Even though he describes himself as overweight and having a bad knee, last October he finished the Chicago Marathon with only five months of training. “You can always find a way of doing something,” he said.

Among David’s many interests are off-grid building, solar and wind energy, and tiny homes. He is considering a business idea for building small, sustainable homes for the local community.

Two MIU students won all-expenses-paid trips to the Women of Vision Awards 2019 in New York City on December 3, hosted by the David Lynch Foundation. The event celebrated four women with vision who are transforming lives through their wisdom and compassion and helping to bring the Transcendental Meditation^® program to vulnerable adults and children.

Students Jessica Mauro and Angel Thordsen were selected by MIU’s ChangeMakers committee, based on their participation in ChangeMakers events. Jessica is one of the most active students on Team ChangeMakers and has a work-study position handling marketing and graphic design. Angel is vice-president of MIU Student Government and served as a judge during a previous ChangeMakers essay contest.

The two students participated in the awards luncheon and afterwards had the opportunity to talk to the awardees. They also connected with multiple Grammy Award winner classical guitarist Sharon Isbin, who was the featured performer at the beginning of the event. The students invited her to visit MIU for a concert and residency in May 2020.

“Attending the Women of Vision event and meeting with young meditators helped me connect to deeper aspects of myself, realizing there is a smaller gap between me and my dreams, thus bringing my grand desires for changing the world into a more tangible reality,” said Jessica.

During their stay in New York City, Angel and Jessica visited a David Lynch Foundation Quiet Time program school in the Bronx and joined the students for a group practice of the TM^® technique. In addition, they spoke to several seniors about their experiences at MIU and the value of Consciousness-Based^SM education.

“The Bronx high school students inspired me to make it a point for MIU to start reaching out to students and giving them the option and opportunity to come to our campus,” said Angel. She has already talked to MIU Admissions and the Board of Trustees about her plan to create a strong connection between MIU and the Bronx High School for Law and Community Service.

A week after they returned, Jessica and Angel shared the transformative impact of their experiences with fellow MIU students during a special recap celebration.

Melanie Telego served two years in the US Army in the 1990s and spent a large part of her life around military installations, following her career soldier husband. She worked as a substitute teacher in public schools as well as in a Department of Defense school in Germany.

Most recently, Melanie ran the US Army’s Career Skills Program for the Fort Drum Army Education Center in New York, where she helped establish civilian employment skill training programs for soldiers who had completed their military service.

Melanie has always been interested in holistic health, but couldn’t find a university that offered a suitable program. She attended college three different times and studied psychology, but between working full time and raising two children she never had the chance to graduate. She became a certified yoga teacher, completed a yoga training course for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and studied yoga philosophy and Ayurveda in her free time.

In 2018 Melanie saw an ad for MIU on Instagram and was excited to discover a degree program in Maharishi AyurVeda and Integrative Medicine. She originally applied for the online program, but decided to move to Fairfield and study on campus in August 2019.

“MIU has been a life-changing experience for me,” said Melanie. “MIU offers a very unique learning opportunity. I have found a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment where I can rediscover myself and who I really am at my deepest foundation.”

Melanie soon realized that many former military service members and their families would enjoy the same benefits she has experienced. “Soldiers are often looking for a rural location, a supportive community, and degree programs in agriculture, sustainability, health, business, and entrepreneurship,” she said.

Using her connections in the military, Melanie would like to facilitate collaboration between MIU and the US Army so that more soldiers can learn about MIU. Her dream is to promote the incorporation of the Transcendental Meditation^® program into basic military training in order to reduce stress and PTSD.