Always helping underserved communities both near and far, Venkat Kodumudi, MBA ’10, and his wife Dr. Mysore Maitri have founded the Prema Endowed Scholarship to support School of Business students at the institution that they greatly value.
Prema, a Sanskrit word meaning universal love, was chosen by Venkat Kodumudi, MBA ’10, and his wife Dr. Mysore Maitri as the name of their new scholarship in support of George Mason University School of Business students interested in entering the fields of health care, sustainability, or diversity and inclusion. It’s a fitting name since love for humanity has guided the lives and careers of the couple. Growing up in India, Kodumudi recalls witnessing the selfless charity of his father, traveling great distances to provide underserved communities with medical resources, despite it being unrelated to his profession. Now Kodumudi and Maitri answer the call themselves by serving communities both near and far, including organizing medical camps for the underprivileged close to home and cleaning glass for developing countries such as in Africa and South America. The Prema Endowed Scholarship at the School of Business is yet another way that they are spreading the love and supporting people who are in financial need.
Kodumudi, chief technology officer at Unissant, and Maitri, a physician at Inova, are leaders in the Northern Virginia community. When it came to deciding on the institution they would trust with their endowed scholarship, George Mason University was the right fit. “Being local, Mason is my community,” says Kodumudi, “and of all the institutions I attended, I somehow felt closest to Mason.” Shortly after School of Business Dean Ajay Vinzé began his term, Kodumudi had an opportunity to meet him and was impressed with the dean’s vision of partnering with the community and surrounding industry. With community on her mind as well, it didn’t take much convincing from her husband to get Maitri on board to establish the scholarship at Mason.
Receiving more than a high-quality education at Mason, Kodumudi has memories that will last a lifetime. “Not a day passes by that I don’t think about my global residency program in the United Arab Emirates,” he says. Another part of the MBA program that sticks with him are the relationships he formed. “Over the years, we don’t always talk that often, but we’re always there,” he says. “Even if it’s been two or three years, we’ll hit it off immediately once we see each other again.”
It is Venkat Kodumudi and Mysore Maitri’s sincere wish that recipients of the Prema Endowed Scholarship build upon their act of good will. “Spread the love, don’t keep it to yourself,” the couple repeats. With their own daughter deciding what she wants to study in college, they understand the challenges and anxieties that come with choosing a path. “The guidance we give our daughter is what we would tell any student trying to decide on a career field,” says Maitri. “Don’t rush, don’t choose a path because your family chose a path. Choose a path that fits your value system and your aspirations.”
Truly caring alumni and donors, like Kodumudi and Maitri, offer support to students during formative years of their life. It is their intention that the scholarship assists students who share their values and continue the tradition of universal love.