|
Dr Ayer's son, Austin, was the class Valedictorian. He was awarded—as co-recipient—the Community Service Award.
Sarah Neate, Salutatorian, was awarded the outstanding undergraduate student award in literature
|
Realising the pursuit of excellence Dr Ramani Ayer, Chairman and CEO of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc, a Fortune 100 company, delivered the keynote address to the graduating class of 2007 at Maharishi University of Management. The University’s 32nd commencement exercise took place on June 30 in the Golden Dome on the M.U.M. campus. Dr Ayer is a member of the University’s Board of Trustees. Dr Ayer told the audience how lucky they were to be graduating from M.U.M. Not only were they receiving a degree in their chosen subject, but they were also graduating with a degree in consciousness. 'There is no other university in the world that confers twin degrees. So, we’re giving you two degrees for the price of one!' He was referring to the Research in Consciousness component of the curriculum, where everyone at the university learns the practice of the Transcendental Meditation® programme for academic credit. The TM® technique develops a student’s total brain physiology allowing them to absorb and connect all the diverse aspects of their discipline to the underlying Unified Field at the basis of their own consciousness, the Self of everyone. Dr Ayer learned the Transcendental Meditation technique in 1971 while a graduate student at Drexel, and the advanced TM-Sidhi programme, including Yogic Flying, with his wife Louise, in 1979. He credits his business success to the personal development he has experienced through practice of these techniques. The 167 graduating students, received 41 bachelors degrees, 124 masters degrees, and two PhDs (several students received mulitple degrees). Together, they represented 42 countries, with parents and family members coming from as far away as Uganda and Nepal to attend. One of those students was Dr Ayer’s son, Austin, the class Valedictorian, who was also co-recipient of the Community Service Award. The Salutatorian, Sarah Neate, was awarded outstanding undergraduate student in Literature. Coming to America Dr Ayer opened his address by saying that, regardless of criticisms aimed at the United States, America remained the greatest land of opportunity. He described his own experience coming to the US from India as agraduate student with only $8.00 in his pocket. 'Only in America, he said, 'can someone like me rise to become a Fortune 100 CEO. After receiving an MA and PhD in chemical engineering from Drexel University, Dr Ayer joined The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. one of the largest diversified financial services companies in the nation, where he spent his entire professional career. During his 10 years as CEO, The Hartford has grown from primarily a property and casualty company with $12.5 billion in revenue to a diversified financial services company with more than $26 billion in revenue. Under Dr Ayer’s leadership, The Hartford rose to become one of the Fortune 100 companies, and its share price appreciated more than 137%. The Hartford currently has 31,000 employees and manages assets of more than $377 billion. The company has received many awards for its management and customer service and is one of Fortune’s most admired companies. Philanthropist Dr Ramani Ayer and his wife Louise have been generous financial supporters of Maharishi University of Management, contributing to the demolition of old campus buildings and to the new Argiro Student Center as well as establishing two endowed scholarship funds. One fund is the DeRoy C. Thomas Scholarship Endowment Fund to support scholarships for African-Americans, which Dr Ayer established in honor of his mentor at The Hartford, DeRoy C. Thomas, who served as Chairman and CEO of The Hartford two terms before Dr Ayer. The other fund is the Ayer Family Scholarship for financially disadvantaged students. Dr Ayer learned the Transcendental Meditation Technique in 1971 while a graduate student at Drexel, and the advanced TM-Sidhi® programme, including Yogic Flying, with his wife Louise, in 1979. Dr Ayer and his wife have also supported the teaching of the Transcendental Meditation program at a highly challenged, highly stressed inner-city school in Hartford, through contributions to the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace. More than 100 of the school’s 1,100 students learned the Transcendental Meditation technique this past year. Because the results were so dramatic, the school principal resolved that the entire student body would learn the technique this coming year. The Four Common Traits of Great Leaders In his commencement speech Dr Ramani Ayer shared what he felt were the four common traits of great leaders. He began by quoting his mother who told him, 'You become what you are by the company you keep.' He urged students to study the lives of great leaders as he did. 'This way,' he told students, ''you could become a great leader yourself, and have a far-reaching, and more profound impact on society.' Follow Your Dream Cultivate self-awareness Though under tremendous pressure, Dr Ayer said he remained calm and centered, and did not allow himself to become overshadowed by circumstances he realized he could not control, instead guiding the company through the stressful economic storm. He attributed this quality of self-awareness and balance to his regular practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique. In fact, he said, 'I owe all of my success to TM.' Dr Ayer encouraged students to continue their Transcendental Meditation practice throughout their lives. This would allow them to hold onto their dreams when everyone around them might doubt them, and also keep them insulated from challenging changing circumstances, giving them the edge to stay competitive. Strive For Excellence Increase Your Capacity to Love Here Dr Ayer cited the example of Nelson Mandela, who spent 10,000 days—27 years—in South African prisons, many of them in solitary confinement. Yet he emerged with no bitterness in his heart but instead embraced his white guards and expressed the resolution to heal the nation’s long-standing racial divisions and balance white fears with black hopes. 'This,' Dr Ayer said, 'was the greatest example of love he had ever seen.' In conclusion Copyright 2007, Maharishi University of Management
|
|
