Maharishi School Alumni Kelly Malloy’s Speech

Good Afternoon,

It is an absolute pleasure being here with you all today, in celebration of completing your high school education, with all of the hard work, commitment and accomplishments that have led up to this time. Now we meet at the end of this journey, in preparation for the next. Congratulations. You made it!

I remember this day so well, sitting in this very auditorium 20 years ago, feeling all of the emotions….excited, nervous, happy, sad, but ultimately grateful. Choosing to attend the Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment is a gift. Im sure you experienced during your time here, some of the deepest connections in friendships, with your teachers, peers and ultimately, with yourself.

As a former graduate, I want to start by sharing some of the highlights that I found to be extremely valuable to this day –

Let me start with TM

This is one of the most powerful tools I was given at the age of 10 yrs old. And I have my parents to thank for that. If they weren’t hippies back in the 1970’s seeking a more spiritual life, I might not be here today. But during my time at MSAE I didn’t even realize what a gift it was to learn to meditate, and have it built into my daily routine. I didn’t always appreciate it either. My friends and I would often giggle our way through meditation in the Hall of Bliss calling it “the hall of bubbling bliss” But I also had many meditations experiencing deep silence…ultimately what this time allowed me to develop was a good habit… that I found even more valuable after I graduated from high school and entered into college and career life. TM then brought me back to my current calling 14 years later, becoming a teacher of it… we’ll get back to that in a bit.

The Science of Creative Intelligence

A class that teaches you an over arching universal principle – To live in tune with nature. These simple yet instrumental concepts have helped keep life in perspective in its truest form. Water the root to enjoy the fruit”. We water the root through meditating and experiencing the deepest part of ourselves. Along with that, getting enough sleep, proper nutrition, and staying physically active are vital components to support our well-being. If we do these things we can feel the support from our environment and move more fluidly. This reality athletes often refer to as “being in the zone” or an artist might describe it as “being in the flow state”. So keep these principles close to your heart.

Where it all started

The last thing I want to mention that I found very special about growing up in Fairfield, was the multi cultural melting pot that has been created here in a town of 10,000 people. Maharishi School and University have drawn people from all over the world. This naturally created an environment of acceptance and understanding that every living being deserves love and respect. I feel very fortunate to see things in this light…We have to remember that we are all spiritual beings having a human experience, regardless of the color of our skin, religion, or political views. Being raised with the fundamental belief that The World Is My Family has served me well in life.

Let’s talk about the present. I remember when it was time to start thinking about applying to colleges. I wasn’t the most academically oriented teenager and really didn’t know what I wanted to continue my eduction in. Or even go to college for that matter. It’s a huge decision to make, but rest assured that your direction in life can change many times. And that’s ok. Whether it’s deciding to go to college right away, or take a gap year, or even change your major a few times…it’s all ok.

After some consideration, I decided to pursue Interior Design and start applying to design schools. It was a hobby of mine growing up. My mom always made our home look so beautiful and inviting. From this, I began to develop a design eye, and made my choice to attend Harringtons Institute of Interior Design in Chicago IL. My first year of college was a challenge. Being on my own, learning how to manage my time more efficiently, meeting deadlines, and experiencing bigger work loads was an adjustment to say the least. But it taught me how to find my voice, by asking for help from my professors when I needed it, learning to give presentations, and venturing out to make new friends. I was slowly acclimating to college life.

After a year of living in the cold, windy city of Chicago, I moved too warm, sunny California. I continued with my design education in Los Angeles at The American Intercontinental University. By year four, I was so ready to take a year off. Having the motivation and discipline to finish school got hard as each year became more demanding. But I got through it, with the support of my amazing parents and their sage advise to, persevere. I was glad I continued, because I was given the opportunity to intern for a designer on the House & Garden Network. On graduation day I received the honor of Cum Laude with a Bachelor degree in Fine Arts.

I went to work in the Interior Design industry in LA, assisting interior designers at private firms, to managing a textile department at The Pacific Design Center – a one million six hundred  thousand square foot facility located in West Hollywood nicknamed as the Blue Whale….. after fulfilling my desire of working in the field of Design, I was ready for a change and decided to move back home to Fairfield to regroup. I worked and saved some money, with the desire to travel and see the world. I embarked on a trip to South America where I back packed for 3 1/2 months, visiting Peru, Ecuador, Brazil and Argentina. I lived in hostels along the way, meeting other young people like myself on an adventure of exploration. My most memorable experiences were dancing in the streets of Rio De Janero during the Brazilian festival of Carnival, learning to surf in the pacific ocean of Ecuador, eating the traditional delicacy’s like ceviche from Peru, and feeling the warmth and love from each culture even with the limitations on our verbal communication. My trip came to an end, and I returned home feeling refreshed, inspired and ready for my next journey.

Over the next 4 years, I utilized my talents in different ways. My mom & I started an organic catering company called Simply Italian. This was my opportunity to put my culinary skills and love for Italian food to good use. I then moved back to California and became the west coast sales rep for a honey company called Heavenly Organics; honey that was harvested from wild beehives at the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains.

Although I enjoyed the wide variety of experiences of trying my hand at several different jobs, something felt like it was missing. I always had a desire to become a teacher of Transcendental Meditation, but the timing never seemed right. In October of 2014, the planets aligned and my desire to attend Teacher Training became a reality. Being exposed to Maharishis knowledge since childhood, was a valuable preparation for the fast paced learning environment. In turn I was able to act in a leadership role, assisting the other course participants during the intense 5 month training program.

Working for David Lynch Foundation

In March of 2015, I became a certified teacher of Transcendental Meditation. I decided to work for the David Lynch Foundation in New York City. For those of you not familiar with the David Lynch Foundation, it’s a non-profit organization that started in 2005. Our mission is to serve and uplift vulnerable and at risk populations in our society. The foundation began with teaching inner city children TM, and implementing a program called Quiet Time, where students were given the time to meditate twice a day in their classroom. Some of the programs that followed are the Resilient Warrior Program, teaching veterans who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress, The Women’s Health Initiative, helping survivors of domestic violence and abuse, and The First Responders Program, consisting of law enforcement, firefighters, and other first responders.

My first position with the DLF organization was teaching at Bronx High School for Law and Community Service. In the first year of the program we taught 400 students how to meditate. The buy in was strong due to the immense stress, and difficulties these teens encountered in their daily lives. The power of meditation and the impact it had was extremely gratifying to witness. Here are a few testimonials from my students –

“TM helps me get through the school day without stressing about it. It also keeps me calm and focused. I have also noticed, after using meditation, my grades have gone up rapidly, making me eligible for the honor role 3 times.”

Another student said – “I have been more confident in my school work and myself, and I feel happier since the day I started meditating.”

And the last one – “I feel calm after I meditate and have more self control, than being the kid I used to be, who was always acting like a fool. That changed since I started meditating.”

I taught at Bronx Law for 5 years. In April of 2020 a new initiative was launched to help people in the field of healthcare called Heal the Healers Now. This program grew out of the desperate need of front-line health care workers battling the COVID-19 pandemic. I was asked to come and be a lead teacher on this program. I’ve taught doctors, nurses, social workers, therapists, and administrators. The role of a healthcare worker is to ensure the health and well-being of their patients. With the arrival of the pandemic, the workload of ill people became unmanageable, and the stress and burnout grew quickly amongst this population.

Here are a couple of testimonials from healthcare workers after learning TM –

“I wanted to let you know how beneficial the TM practice has been for me. It has allowed me to fully relax and recharge. It has helped me cope during the last couple of months which have been extremely stressful with the increase in COVID patients. The practice has been extremely helpful for my mental and emotional well-being. I am so grateful for this opportunity.”

“I am a nurse that is grateful for taking the TM course. Before TM, I had really bad insomnia, especially after working a 12 hour shift in the Emergency Department. I barely slept 4 hours a night. After practicing TM for 8 months, I have no problem with insomnia, and I am getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night. I have become more centered, energetic and calm. I am forever thankful for this opportunity.”

In my mind these people are heroes, and I am humbled to be of assistance to them, and provide a tool to help in their own personal healing.

My experience teaching TM has far surpassed anything I could have imagined it to be. In fact, I never expected to have a full time career doing this. I realize that society is changing, and recognizing the value of consciousness. A long career of being a full-time TM teacher is more of a reality now, than its ever been. I am grateful for the opportunity to be of service to humanity in this way. Maharishi would say – The role of the TM teacher is to, “whisper infinity to the student.”

So the message I want to leave you all with today, is to keep moving forward, be fearless, go after your dreams, and don’t lose site of your vision, even if there are set backs….continue to stay focused, but most importantly remember to enjoy the journey;)

I want to share a quote from Napoleon Hill. He was a famous American author born in the 1800’s & big influencer on the key to success and personal achievement.

And I quote – “Cherish your visions and dreams, as they are the children of your soul, the blueprint of your ultimate achievements.” End of quote

A quote from a famous American first lady – Eleanor Roosevelt

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dream”.

Congratulations graduates. It’s been a joy speaking with you all today and I want to thank for this opportunity.

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