Perspective from Parents

M aharishi University of M anagement

Perspectives from Parents

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Dear Parents, s a parent myself, I know that sending a child off to college can be a major milestone in life, for both the child and the family as a whole — particularly if the school is far from home.

It can also be a source of concern. And not without reason. Although the college years are supposed to be a time of study, learning, and preparation for future success, they can be enormously stressful for students.

I am writing to tell you that here at Maharishi University of Management your child truly has a home away from home.

The faculty members have thought through every aspect of the student experience, inside the classroom and out. They have created an environment highly conducive to learning, to rapid personal growth, and to forming deep and lasting bonds and friendships.

At the foundation of our curriculum, as you may know, is regular practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique. This simple, natural, effortless procedure is so very effective at reducing stress and anxiety, promoting integrated brain functioning, developing students’ innate creativity and intelligence, and promoting balanced personality growth.

With students, faculty, and staff all practicing this technique, the result is a peaceful, harmonious campus where people truly accept, respect, and value other people for who they are. In this kind of environment, students make meaningful friendships instantly.

Our faculty members are highly capable and caring, dedicated to teaching, and devoted to helping students gain everything they can during their precious college years.

Our staff members are equally dedicated and caring. We make sure students know

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we are here for them — to answer any question, to facilitate any issue that may arise.

From our healthy vegetarian diet, complete with locally grown organic foods, to our balanced daily routine . . . from our daily meditation practice to our encouraging students to get a good night’s sleep every night . . . from our focus on creating a campus free of smoke, alcohol, and drugs to our wide range of engaging extracurricular activities, we are here to give each and every student a meaningful, memorable, and valuable education, from the inside out.

In my own life, I have worked as an attorney in Washington, DC, as an executive in the corporate world specializing in human resource development, as a professional mediator, and as a college professor. But I have always been a mother first and foremost — I have two sons, one 23 and one 20. My eldest graduated last year with an MBA from MUM and the prior year with a BA from the University.

This is why I feel so fulfilled serving as Dean of Student Life at Maharishi University of Management. I am able to bring all my life experiences to bear — particularly my experience raising two sons. I also have an outstanding, committed, and capable team working with me. Together we dedicate ourselves to the intellectual, physical, emotional, and spiritual growth and well-being of every student.

It is so rewarding to get to know each incoming student and then to see how each one flourishes during their years here.

Please feel free to call or write me if you have any comments or questions.

Sincerely, Ellen Akst Jones, J.D. Dean of Student Life

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“ Awakening the innate genius that lies within is MUM’s specialty, and that is why we have been so deeply fulfilled as parents in having three of our children choose to attend and graduate from MUM.”

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very parent’s heartfelt desire is simply for their children to be as healthy, happy, and successful in life as they can possibly be; for their children to realize their full potential. Searching for colleges one finds most universities become known for certain specialties, programs of education that clearly outperform other colleges — engineering at MIT, medicine at Johns Hopkins, law at Harvard, and so on. For what we pay them, we expect a college to fully prepare our young adults to lead a happy and fulfilling life. Not every college experience delivers on that expectation.

“While knowledge of any specialty can be taught and learned, the intelligence to use any knowledge successfully, and the intelligence to be balanced and fulfilled in life, must come from within. As all intelligence flows from pure consciousness, the twicedaily practice of Transcendental Meditation at MUM fills the students with that innate intelligence that guides life to success on all levels. The unique program at MUM of alternating the experience of pure consciousness in meditation with the study of the universal laws of nature as they are expressed in all art and science, so tunes the students’ physical, emotional, and mental functioning that pure genius is the natural result.

“Awakening the innate genius that lies within is MUM’s specialty, and that is why we have been so deeply fulfilled as parents in having three of our children choose to attend and graduate from MUM. Elisa [middle] majored in Literature and Writing, then she received her MBA. Carrie [far left] majored in Chemistry and Biology. And Jaime [far right], our most recent MUM graduate, majored in Business and Sustainable Living.”

—Charlie and Jean Fritch, Glenwood, Maryland

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ny apprehension I may have had about sending my young daughter, Florence, all the way to America for her studies dissipated the moment she and I arrived on the campus of Maharishi University of Management. Florence was welcomed with such warmth and care; she immediately fell in love with the place and has thrived during her short stay so far.

“In subsequent telephone conversations Florence [on the far right in the photo] has spoken to me from her heart. She tells me: ‘MUM is the best place to be. Everyone — teachers and fellow students alike — has a pleasant attitude and they are always ready to help, especially to help me improve my English. I never encounter the slightest difficulty to find help and explanations when needed. I have never had teachers who all uplift students, are available and caring and do their utmost for us to succeed.’

“Florence told her younger sister who has expressed interest in MUM: ‘There is not the slightest thing that is going wrong. Everything is perfect here.

There is no way to fully understand what it is like to study at MUM without having been here already. This is a magic place.’

“ Florence was welcomed with such warmth and care; she immediately fell in love with the place and has thrived during her short stay so far.”

“What else could parents desire? At MUM you have a safe and pleasant environment with high academic standards — an institution that contributes so much to my daughter’s self-confidence and inner happiness.

“What strikes me when I speak to my daughter is her happiness. She is simply happy and full of energy.”

—Yannic Gautier, France

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“ Morgan’s enthusiasm is contagious. My husband and I recently learned TM and we hope there will be opportunities for us to get involved in MUM programs in the future.”

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ur daughter, Morgan, transferred to MUM as a junior from a college in Pennsylvania. She was an academic scholarship student and on the Dean’s List during her two years there but was disheartened on many levels with her experience. She discovered MUM on the Internet, and was deeply touched by so many items addressed on the University’s web pages.

“Morgan is now in her second year of studies at MUM and during this time we have heard nothing but praise from her as she describes her experiences. She loves Transcendental Meditation and is fascinated with Maharishi’s philosophy. She is happier, healthier, more energetic, enthusiastic and excited about learning than we have ever seen her. Morgan has great respect and admiration for her professors and their thoughtful, thorough, beautifully presented lectures.

“She praises MUM’s student body as ‘gifted, interesting, sensitive, as well as a lot of fun!’ She also says, with a newly acquired clear strong tone to her voice, that the staff is responsive and caring in so many ways regarding dorm life, cafeteria and food service, as well as administrative functions.

“Morgan’s enthusiasm is contagious. My husband and I recently learned TM and we hope there will be opportunities for us to get involved in MUM programs in the future.

“We also are very excited about MUM’s future alternative medicine curriculum.

Morgan plans to participate in the MD program when it is established. We see this as a brilliant and unique addition to the University.

“We are very grateful that Morgan has such a fabulous opportunity and we wish everyone continued success.”

—Mal and Is Schuster, New York, New York

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ur initial goal in researching MUM was to find a college that was healthy and spiritual, as well as intellectual, for the education of our son, Prana.

In the process, we realized our own education in life was unfinished and could be nourished here as well; we decided to move to Fairfield when our son enrolled at MUM. “When we arrived from Pennsylvania we found MUM and the community even better than we’d dared to hope. As a result, our oldest daughter, Anala, joined us six months later. It’s great fun having two of our three kids here — one as an undergraduate in Sustainable Living and one as a master’s degree student in Maharishi Vedic Science.

“Things we love: conversing with the family about meditation, their classes and Maharishi’s teachings from ancient Vedic Science as well as modern quantum physics; eating organic food at Argiro Student Center; and enjoying the international student cultural activities together. Some 85 countries are represented on campus.

“Best of all is the gratitude we have for our children’s interest in such a place, knowing we are sharing deep knowledge, growth, and betterment for ourselves and others.

What a gift to a parent! No matter where the future takes them, this uncommon experience will be a common thread between us.”

—John and Vina Miller, formerly from Honesdale, Pennsylvania

“ Best of all is the gratitude we have for our children’s interest in such a place, knowing we are sharing deep knowledge, growth and betterment for ourselves and others.”

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“ To me, the amazing part of all of this was how a small university provided very different educational experiences for two of my three children!”

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ost parents would be thrilled to have their children finish their education and be happy, healthy and employed. Maharishi University of Management played a large part in this for our family, with an emphasis on healthy food, a low stress schedule, and respectful interaction with students of many ages from numerous countries.

“To me, the amazing part of all of this was how a small university provided very different educational experiences for two of my three children. My youngest daughter, Tegan [middle], majored in Sustainable Living and my son, Andrew [left], created an individualized program.

“Tegan’s education was very practical, with a class on slow-cooking local food, field trips and classes throughout the Midwest, and travel courses in India and South Africa.

MUM’s flexible block system also allowed her to participate in programs at organic farms in Japan, France, and Italy.

“Andrew’s individualized major was part of a program for students who present a detailed plan; it’s a very stringent program. This was ideal for Andrew. He was able to include internships both on campus and in Fairfield and to spend many hours of oneon-one research with the excellent MUM faculty.”

—Ron Perry, Fairfield, Iowa

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few weeks after we dropped our son off at MUM, we called him on Skype video. It was obvious from his face that he was happy. Very happy. In fact, his face looked so fresh and bright, he looked as if some heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

“Our son has always done well academically, so we were not worried about his academic performance as he entered college. We did wonder about the transition in lifestyle, from living at home in southern California, to living in a dorm. Julian, however, made new friends very quickly. We know his heart is getting nourished at MUM. “Also, I must mention Freshmen Base Camp at the Current River in the Ozarks.

Even though the weather was not cooperative on the days the men were there camping out (it rained a lot), Julian’s freshman class showed resourcefulness, cooperation, leadership, and self-reliance. In just this first term, Julian has noticeably grown as an independent person.”

—Paul and Jeanette Worland, Ramona, California

“ It was obvious from his face that he was happy. Very happy.

In fact, his face looked so fresh and bright, he looked as if some heavy weight has been lifted from his shoulders.”

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“ We could not be happier with the results we are seeing from an environment that is providing the means to take our child to the next level in life. We would say MUM is a place that can have life-changing impact.”

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hat struck us most about MUM is how well integrated the education is with life in a vibrant, diverse community. Ahsya has become comfortable getting out of her comfort zone. We have never seen her so self aware—we see a wonderful expansion of her thinking process with self-reflection.

“We could not be happier with the results we are seeing from an environment that is providing the means to take our child to the next level in life. We would say MUM is a place that can have life-changing impact.

“We are no longer the worrywart parents we used to be; we see a change in Ahsya that is hard to describe. She was always a good student, social, outgoing and talented in many areas. But she seems more alive and yet calmer. The courses and experiences are bringing out her real creativity and potential and she is just so genuinely happy. She has made many friends and is involved in all aspects of the community in such a short time.

She is doing more than she was before when she was in the middle of a large city. So far she is loving it and so are we.

“In short, we love the school, especially because Ahsya says she is very happy at MUM. She has found the people she was looking for; the people she could connect with. She loves the courses and the discussions they create. We enjoy that her creativity is at an all-time high and that she is comfortable in her skin. This school has been phenomenal for her.”

—Sheela Patel and Stefan DeVocht, Boca Raton, Florida

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“ They learn to think with their hearts and love with their minds and attain a truly holistic education that prepares them for all of life’s experiences.”

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y wife Linda and I both graduated from MUM back in 1979 and 1978 respectively. We went on to get our doctoral degrees in business Management from MERU in 1997. I am a graduate of Harvard Business School and have been a Trustee of MUM since 1999. We have been truly blessed with three enlightened daughters of whom we are extremely proud.

“All three of our girls have attended MUM, with our youngest daughter Grace now enrolled as a freshman. As parents, we want only the best for our daughters, just like every parent. In our quietest moments, we are at peace inside knowing that we have given our children the opportunity to experience the highest education available. Knowledge of both the objective and the subjective worlds is now at their disposal through Consciousness-Based education.

“MUM gives them a unique opportunity to not just fill their minds with facts but also awards them with the precious knowledge of their inner selves. They learn to think with their hearts and love with their minds and attain a truly holistic education that prepares them for all of life’s experiences. As a parent, what greater gift can we give them than a direct path to know themselves?”

—Drs. Christopher and Linda Hartnett, Boone, North Carolina

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A t ru ly i n t e r n at ion a l u n i v e r si t y

Our students have come from 123 countries, with 85 countries represented in the current academic year — the most countries represented on campus in any one year.

AFRICA

Algeria Cameroon Congo Egypt Eritrea Ethiopia Gambia Ghana Kenya Liberia Malawi Mauritania Rwanda Senegal South Africa Sudan Tanzania Togo Zambia

EUROPE

Armenia Austria Bosnia- Hercegovina Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Italy Latvia Moldova Netherlands Poland Romania Russia Serbia Spain

Sweden Ukraine United Kingdom MIDDLE EAST

Iran Iraq Israel Jordan Lebanon Palestine ASIA

Afghanistan Azerbaijan Bhutan Brunei Cambodia China India Indonesia

Korea (South) Kyrgyzstan Malaysia Mongolia Myanmar Nepal Pakistan Philippines Singapore Sri Lanka Taiwan Thailand Turkey Uzbekistan Vietnam PACIFIC

Australia New Zealand SOUTH AMERICA

Argentina

Bolivia Brazil Colombia Ecuador Guyana Venezuela NORTH AMERICA

Canada Mexico United States

CENTRAL AMERICA

Costa Rica El Salvador CARIBBEAN

Dominican Republic Haiti Trinidad and Tobago

Maharishi University of Management is an Equal Opportunity Institution. ©2010 Maharishi University of Management Transcendental Meditation®, TM®, TM-Sidhi®, Consciousness-Based, Maharishi Vedic Science, and Maharishi University of Management® are protected trademarks and are used in the U.S. under license or with permission.