Emily Post, etiquette aficionado extraordinaire, recommends “presenting” oneself vs “introducing” oneself in formal situations. Though she passed before she could write “Bloggers Etiquette for Dummies,” I will follow her advice. In order to keep our relationship friendly and chummy, allow me to introduce myself…
My name is Anna Bruen. I am committed to doing my part to enhance sustainability in all areas of life through education, action, and spiritual growth.
My parents moved me from Massachusetts to Iowa when I was 5 years old so that I could attend a school where everyday the kids meditated and studied things like the Vedic Science, the Bhagavad Gita, and Sanskrit. Jump ahead 16 years…
I graduated from Maharishi University of Management in 2008 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Sustainable Living accompanied by two Minors, one in Business and one in Improvisational Movement. While I was a student I did a lot of things:
- served on Student Government as Student Senate President
- co-founded the Beatdafeet dance club
- practiced Transcendental Meditation and the TM-siddhi technique
- organized the annual student-run Eco-fair
- acted in plays
- danced in Maharishi University of Management’s annual Variety Show
- volunteered for Fairfield’s ArtWalk
- traveled to North Carolina on a rotating university trip
- organized holiday parties
…and still managed to go out on the weekends, and do my homework.
After graduating, I was the Project Director for the campus wide David Lynch Weekend: Exploring the Frontiers of Creativity, Sustainability, and Peace. I then started working as an MUM Admissions Counselor, answering questions about Maharishi University of Management, helping people with the application process, organizing and hosting Visitors Weekends and of course welcoming new students to campus in August and January.
I cannot think of one department on campus that I have not worked with in some capacity.
I tell you all of this, so, that if you have any questions about MUM or Fairfield you won’t hesitate, even for a second, to think that you can’t or shouldn’t send them my way. Ask me anything, if I can’t answer it straight up, I’ll know how to track down someone who can.
More recently, I worked as Sustainability Director for YourVive, an e-commerce eco-startup company seeking to add simplicity and clarity to a marketplace saturated with green-washing. I helped ensure that this happened by working with sustainability consultants PureStrategies to use industry sustainability standards in creating a pre-vetting system for vendors and their products and providing transparent information about companies and products to shoppers.
Even more recently, I became a certified yoga teacher and am starting to blog for Maharishi University of Management! Please, leave a comment or send me an e-mail: anna.bruen@mum.edu. I look forward to hearing from you!
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Anna Bruen is a MUM alumnus who graduated with a degree in Sustainable Living. Anna is the resident blogger here at MUM. |
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
Nice, you seem very accomplished! And great info!
Hello,
I´m very interested in sustainable living and like information.
Best wishes
Inger Andersson
Jai Guru Dev
Hi Inger,
Thanks for reading!
Have you seen the Sustainable Living website? It’s a great resource with lots of information about the program – http://www.mum.edu/sustainable_living/
Wow! Impressive! Such an accomplished person. You really aim high and have so much energy and creativity. MUM must be proud to have you among them. More over your parents must be proud of you too. You possess beautiful qualities , you are the embodiment of how Maharishi School and Maharishi University of Management develop the whole potential in their students to perform in life. Congratulations and keep up the excellent work! <3
Thank you for the kind words!
Dearest Anna,
Kudos on all of your accomplishments! I am coming to Fairfield June 30 to meet my extended family for Brian Glassetts graduation!
I will be majoring in SL. I am totally excited and looking forward to new journeys…. I am interested in yoga classes when I arrive. I will also be taking my first TM class before school starts and I am looking for a piano to tinkle on!
I look forward to meeting you. If you like, I am also on FB!
PEACE & LOVE
KAREN
Hi Karen!
Thanks for reading! I’ll be out of town for a bit, but am also coming to Fairfield on the 30th, maybe I’ll see you in the airport
I’m sure once you are here, finding a piano will be a piece of cake.
I look forward to meeting you!
Enjoy,
Anna
GREETINGS ANNA!
I will be driving to Iowa, via Alabama, Tennessee, and Indiana!
I am SURE that no one will want to hear me on the piano… I am a bit rusty… although that hasn’t stopped me before!
Will catch up on the book…
PEACE
KAREN
You seem like a great person. So much you have accomplished! Congrats!
I had no idea there were educational establishment with this kind of ethos. Well done to your parents for starting you down that path and congratualtions on your achievments so far! A very enlightening article.
Hi Anna,
you sound like an ambitious person, just like me..I always have a million thing to do, giant dreams but sadly life is too short and we are limited with the time we have been gifted with.
And speaking of Yoga, I’m a Kundalini Reiki Master, Alternative Healing Therapies, Meditation, Psychology and Metaphysics independent researcher, Feel Free to contact me if you are interested to discussing those topics further.
Love & Light
Awesome!Keep going with outstanding outcome.
I am almost the same age as you and I wonder how you managed to get all this stuff done that you have done. I mean I went to school, to university, graduated and work now but I didn’t find the time to do so many things that you do. I really respect your attitude and what you have accomplished. Keep it up and you will have a bright future ahead of you. Greetings from Germany.
Wow!
You are a super woman, and you are so young!!!
The Sustainable Living website it’s a great resource…Lots of info.
Thanks for sharing your story….
Fantastic information.I appreciate all of your commitment.I´m very interested in sustainable living and like information.Thanks for sharing nice story.
Unlike many, it appears your years at university have left you well-grounded, balanced and full of ambition to continue to grow. Well done!
I like your combination of a degree in sustainable living with a business degree. It seems like a nice blend of the idealistic and the pragmatic.
I wish you the best and will look forward to finding updates here. Meanwhile, I’m going to check out the sustainable living site you mentioned above.