Daniel Bramlett came to MUM already following his path of self-development. A veteran of the U.S. Army, he had earned two associate degrees and considered entering the field of drug and alcohol addiction counseling.

He was searching for a Vedic university online when he found MUM. He wanted to integrate what he had learned about human services and psychology with Maharishi Vedic Science^SM, so he created an individualized degree, which he called Consciousness-Based^SM Human Services.

“Maharishi Vedic Science could be considered a deep psychology of the nature of being human,” said Daniel. For his senior project, he wrote a paper about the beneficial effects of different types of meditation and how they can support recovery from substance abuse. During the 2019 Graduation Awards Ceremony, he received the Outstanding Student Award for his individualized major.

Having had personal experience with substance addiction, Daniel is motivated to help others in their recovery. “I suffered consequences from an extremely unhealthy way of life,” he said, “and the pain got so bad that the only thing left was to seek happiness. I came here as a seeker. I want happiness, and I want joy, and I want bliss, and I want love, and I want courage, and I want to put my heart into everything I do. And this place has helped me to do that. For the rest of my life, I will be a forever changed person.”

Daniel found that the supportive atmosphere at MUM and the practice of the TM^® and TM^®-Sidhi programs have helped him create a well-rounded and balanced life. He has experienced clearer thinking, emotional stability, and a deeper self-awareness as a result of his practice. To establish a solid foundation for his future, he decided to stay in Fairfield while pursuing a master’s degree in transpersonal psychology online at Atlantic University.

“Daniel is a man with a mission,” said Professor John Collins. “Through his hard work and compassion, I believe he will help a lot of people escape the perils of drug addiction and be able to create better lives.”

Daniel is also a certified fitness nutrition and bodybuilding specialist. In his free time he enjoys exercising and improving his diet. In the future, he intends to work in the fitness and human services fields.

Mirah Dumasia hails from the city of Auckland, New Zealand. She learned the Transcendental Meditation^® technique when she was 11, along with her family. Growing up with an entrepreneur father, she has always had a fascination with finance and business and she wanted to study in the US, so she decided to apply to MUM.

As a business student, Mirah focused on taking classes in accounting and entrepreneurship. She completed the one-semester track offered by the Concept To Market Institute where she learned how to draw up a business plan. She also participated in a national mediation tournament, where her team took seventh place in two categories. For her dedication to her studies, Mirah received the Outstanding Student Award from the College of Business Administration.

In her free time, Mirah worked part time at MUM’s Golden Dome Market, which turned out to be beneficial for her studies and career. While interacting with customers, she secured several summer internships and her current job.

Mirah completed two curricular practical training internships with the Fairfield-based company Tasty Superfoods, where she helped with advertising and marketing. She also spent two months doing a practical training internship in New York City, doing lead generation for an investment company called Katalyst Securities.

As part of her post-completion optional practical training for international students, she landed a one-year paid position with John Raines Insurance in Fairfield. As a starting professional, Mirah finds her practice of the TM^® technique more essential than ever.

“Having the TM and TM-Sidhi^® programs to just calm yourself down is important,” she said. “Being able to deal with all the demands of the world can be overwhelming, and when you are always in a place of high stress, you are not going to make the best decisions.”

At MUM, Mirah enjoyed the community of international students and learning about different cultures. In the future she plans to earn an MBA, travel for work, and eventually start her own business.

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.