Impact Stories

“What I want more than anything,” says Dr. Mawya Shocair, “is to inspire others to give. Giving for the sake of giving – that’s what it’s all about for me.” Shocair, who is a successful nephrologist in Boston, Massachusetts and her late husband, Dr. Mohammad Ghiath Reda, have made many charitable donations over the years including gifts to the American University of Beirut to assist Syrian students who needed help to pay their tuition and, most recently, to establish the Shocair-Reda Current Scholarship.

Although not an AUB alumna, Shocair has been a member of the AUB family since she and her husband arrived in Boston more than 30 years ago. “We knew no one at the time,” she remembers, “but were quickly adopted by AUB alumni including Dr. Kamal Itani. “There were not many of us from Syria in Boston then, so we were especially grateful. We have stayed close friends over the years and have attended many AUB events.”

Shocair says that her recent gift was prompted by a story that she read about someone who had attended AUB on a scholarship, had gone on to become very successful, and had then made a gift to establish a scholarship themselves. “That shows you the power of a scholarship,” she says. Shocair says that she is also motivated to give because she appreciates how lucky she and her husband were. “Our schooling was free. That is no longer the case, so students today really need help.”

“I am proud to have known Dr. Mawya and her late husband Dr. Ghiath for several years,” says Associate Vice President for Development Walid Katergi. “Their passion for education and for wanting to help needy qualified students is heartwarming.”