The Rocket

Issue date: 5/2/08 Section: Focus

Media Credit: Submitted Photo Seeme Moreira was chosen to be the 2008 recipient of the Distinguished International Alumni Award. Born in Pakistan, Moreira came to SRU and graduated as summa cum laude 1985. [Click to enlarge]

A 1985 alumna was chosen to receive the Distinguished International Alumni Award for 2008 by the SRU Alumni Association.

Seeme Baqai Moreira was born and raised in Pakistan and graduated summa cum laude from SRU with a bachelor's degree in accounting. She currently works as a real estate agent at Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage.

In 1988, she married Mario Moreira, a 1984 graduate of SRU. She and her husband currently live in Boston, Mass. with their two daughters, Aliya (12) and Iman (8).

Moreira said that she is very honored to be the recipient of this year's Distinguished International Alumni Award.

"My first reaction upon hearing the news was 'this must be a mistake,'" she said. "I thought there must be many more qualified alumni than myself, more deserving of this award."

In the years since graduating from SRU, Moreira said she has pursued many different paths including: higher education, work in finance/accounting, community service and involvement and parenthood.

Micheal Saraka, the director of alumni relations, said that the SRU Alumni Association is comprised of faculty, staff, clerical workers, students and alumni. Saraka said that there are five criteria they base their decision on when selecting a recipient for the award. The person nominated generally does a lot of community service both on and off campus, is a philanthropist and has a successful career.

The Alumni Association accepts applications all year, and anyone can nominate an alumn, Saraka said.

Director of International Relations, Pam Frigot, nominated Moreira for the award. When Moreira was a student here at SRU, Frigot worked in admissions and got to know Moreira through international events they both attended.

Frigot said that she decided to nominate Moreira because she is so well rounded.

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