At MUM I found what I had been missing in my previous experience of higher education: knowledge through a deeper connection to myself — based in experience, not just intellectual understanding. While studying at MUM, I started to see connections between various areas of study and how the best solutions to any problem solve it on a deeper, more fundamental level.

I found fulfillment of what I learned at MUM in my profession of landscape architecture, where design solutions must integrate many different — and sometimes contradictory — site conditions as well as the needs of the various constituents who will use the outdoor space. I am always looking for the deeper, more abstract idea that will integrate seemingly unrelated, fragmented information.

I have found that what I learned at MUM gave me a foundation of knowledge and experience that can be applied to all areas of my life no matter what I do. I feel confident in whatever I do and wherever I go, knowing that I am always connected to the source of all knowledge through my practice of TM.

As an 18-year-old, I applied to Maharishi University of Management because I wanted to spend four years developing myself. I also wanted to study English literature from a deep perspective I knew I wouldn't find anywhere else. After graduation, I learned that my decision had immense practical benefits out in the world.

My degree earned me a respect that was different, but in many ways more potent, than the respect I would have earned if I'd gone to Stanford or Yale. It marked me as an independent thinker and helped to set me apart when I applied to a competitive graduate program at UC Berkeley.

Today, as an editor at a national magazine, I credit Maharishi University of Management for training my mind to look beneath the surface of things — a skill that helps me every day in my career and keeps my inner life rich and rewarding.

Coming from a military and paramilitary background, I have to admit that MUM was akin to walking on the moon for me in comparison to the life I lived for over 12 years. Not to say that I have never had a spiritual side. I did. It wasn't until I was working in Africa, setting up a security company of my own and at the height of my career, when I decided I needed to make some hard choices about my life.

Finding MUM was a blessing to me. Hearing the words of spiritual leaders like Gandhi, convinced me that if I truly wanted to make a positive difference in the world I needed to be the change I wanted to see.

MUM was time well spent. This was, and continues to be, a most unique situation and experience. Having so many people come together in one place, interested in a common goal of peace, is extraordinary and should not be taken lightly. In computer terms I would say that MUM gave me the ability to "defrag" my brain and body. From this I've been able to rest and take in a whole new world of possibilities.

My experience was of an evolving University, daily Transcendental Meditation, and a unique town full of inspired and exceptional people. It is my hope that MUM will continue to have a profound impact on the people of the coming generations. Getting a degree in sustainability opens one's eyes to the challenging times ahead of us. It will take our full potential of 200% — both 100% inner awareness and 100% outer expression — to meet these challenges.

When I first came to MUM, I had not been enrolled at a university since 1982; naturally I was apprehensive. I was also wondering how I'd learn something like Sanskrit — an ancient language that is an integral component of the curriculum in the particular masters program I wanted to study.

It turned out I need not have worried because not only did I make a lot of friends, but I also managed to learn how to speak and write Sanskrit! Sanskrit seemed difficult at first, but within three months I was practically singing it! Pronouncing the sounds had an incredible impact on my physiology. With practice, Sanskrit became something I valued and cherished.

I excelled and graduated with a 4.0 because of the incredible amount of love and support that I received from the faculty, students and staff, including Leslee Goldstein, my interpreter; it completely rocked my academic world.

I loved the block system because it allowed me to take one subject at a time and totally focus on one, rather than many subjects. Of course, learning Transcendental Meditation and having it as part of our daily routine was a huge benefit. I gained clarity, confidence and incredible support of Nature that continues to this day.

MUM was fun. It sounds trite, but it was such an important aspect of my time at the university. It was so joyful to be around such a diverse group of students and have such a good time.

It was a particularly important experience for me to be so accepted and to find friends so quickly when I started at MUM. The quality of my education was excellent, but the high quality of my interactions and the happiness I experienced at MUM were perhaps more important than the “book learning.”

I am grateful I was able to have both top-notch classes and professors, but also an entire school of top-notch friendships (including my husband!) that I still have 10 years later.

My five years at MUM were very enjoyable. Learning and having fun with people from all over the world was a rare opportunity. More importantly, however, I gained the knowledge and tools that have helped me make successful decisions now that I am in the world on my own.

I feel like I became an expert in choosing the right path on a small scale (decisions made each minute, each second), as opposed to a large scale (life decisions). Anyone who knows the secret to success knows that large scale is achieved one small detail at a time. I left MUM with the confidence that anything was possible, because I knew how to take small but powerful steps towards a goal.

I can’t imagine having gone to a school where the focus was solely on the knowledge specific to my field, without a corresponding emphasis on universal laws, and on improving the container for knowledge (i.e. myself!). It’s like the difference between handing a poor person some money to buy some food, and giving them some land, seeds and the knowledge about how to grow their own food. The former is valuable, but the latter is invaluable.

My education at MUM was invaluable. I think that’s the standard by which a school should be measured

MUM created a great environment to connect with creative people and learn both ancient and modern knowledge.

I loved being able to study subjects from ancient Vedic medicine, to classical Shakespearean literature, to the latest knowledge of quantum physics. Through TM and yoga, it gave me tools to stay grounded in myself and prioritize my own well-being.

My studies at MUM gave me the basis for being able to maintain a balanced perspective in a field that’s both mentally and physically demanding; this has helped me succeed in an intense environment.

In the intervening years I have seen mainstream science and business catch up to some of the concepts we were studying at that time. As well, I formed the collection of friends that I still have to this day.

When I left MUM, I focused on the next stage of my life; I entered our family business which was in need of revitalization. I have learned that, in business, traits such as reliability and trustworthiness are important.

But equally important is the faculty of intuition. And this quality was cultured early on in my years at MUM through the program of Transcendental Meditation; it has carried over into my daily life ever since.

I think the education program offered at MUM is a gem, and holds the key to solving many of the problems facing society.