Gladys Kimtai: Kenyan Orphan Wants to Teach TM in Africa

MIU student Gladys Kimtai was born in Kenya and lost her parents at age two. She and her siblings were raised by her grandparents, who passed away when Gladys was 12. A fortuitous event, however, altered her life for the better. A prosperous local doctor decided to provide education to the youngest child in the family, young Gladys, so at age three she was enrolled in boarding school.

The doctor continued to support her education through high school, and Gladys set her heart on obtaining a running scholarship from an American university. The fact that she had never run before didn’t discourage her. With a group of friends, she trained rigorously and received a cross-country and track scholarship from Harding University in Arkansas.

While studying in Arkansas, Gladys learned about the Transcendental Meditation technique from a visiting Fairfield family, who later sponsored her to learn the TM technique.

“From the first day, I felt so much relief from practicing TM,” said Gladys. “I wanted to become a TM teacher after my first instruction. My TM teacher told me about MIU, where I could find out more about becoming a TM teacher.”

Gladys enrolled at MIU in 2014, and after taking the introductory course on the Science of Creative Intelligence, she chose the MA in Maharishi Vedic Science program. “It’s the kind of knowledge that you want to keep getting more and more of,” she said.

Gladys has also learned the TM-Sidhi program and wants to become a teacher of the Transcendental Meditation technique so that she can teach her extended family and people in Kenya and Africa.

“Gladys has a personal story that could be a Hollywood movie,” said Thomas Egenes, professor of Maharishi Vedic Science. “She’s like Cinderella and she’s also her own fairy godmother, transforming herself into an intelligent, beautiful, kind, and purposeful young woman. She’s living proof that if you pursue your dreams, nothing is impossible.”

Gladys feels very fortunate with her progress in life, and she is currently writing a book about her journey to inspire others, especially orphans and young girls in Africa. In her book, she is incorporating the knowledge she is learning from Maharishi Vedic Science.

To learn more about Gladys’ story, go here.