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Rising above adversity to pursue a dream Kabelo Ramatlhape grew up in Alexandra township in Johannesburg, South Africa, amid high unemployment rates and low prospects for higher education. But Kabelo had a dream—he wanted to earn an MBA degree from an overseas university. After graduating from high school, he didn’t have the resources to attend college, so he enrolled in a call center training program. After being a call center agent for a time, he soon became a trainer himself. He had worked there for three years when he heard about the Maharishi Invincibility Institute (MII) in Johannesburg, which offers an undergraduate degree in business in collaboration with Maharishi University of Management (MUM). He enrolled at MII in 2011 and graduated in December 2015. In January 2016 he came to MUM to join the MBA Program. His call center experience helped him secure a position in MUM’s Admissions Office, where he is completing his internship as a US admissions representative. “I find the MBA Program challenging, and I enjoy the challenge,” said Kabelo. “I feel it’s really preparing me for the world out there.” Kabelo learned the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program at the Maharishi Invincibility Institute. “TM has given me the ability to manage my stress,” he said. “It’s helped me with school, family, and everything happening in my life.” Kabelo’s ultimate goal is to gain work experience in the US and then work in South Africa as a business consultant. He also dreams of earning a PhD and teaching at a university. “Kabelo is an excellent representative of the education and training he has received at MII and MUM,” said Richard Thompson, assistant professor of management. “He is very intelligent, eloquent, and smooth in his interactions with others. It has been a pleasure to have him in class.” Kabelo has already achieved some of his aspirations, and he has become an example for the people he grew up with in Alexandra. He hopes to continue to inspire them to pursue their ambitions and not let their circumstances determine their lives—just as he was inspired by his family, who always encouraged him to pursue his goals.
© Copyright 2017 Maharishi University of Management
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