UB mother, daughter share commencement weekend

Farzana Moid and her daughter, Maheea Sayeed, didn’t plan to graduate in the same year. But this month, Moid will earn her master’s in public health just as Sayeed completes her master’s in global affairs — marking a rare True Blue milestone they’ll carry with them for the rest of their lives.

Moid was born and raised in Bangladesh, where she earned her medical degree and master’s in physiology before immigrating to the U.S. in 2010 with her husband and two children. She spent several years working in a doctor’s office in Buffalo while caring for her family.

When both of her children chose UB for their undergraduate degrees, she began thinking about returning to school herself. But it wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic — and the national focus on public health, prevention and community care — that she decided to apply.

“Rather than pursuing my background in physiology, I decided to go for public health,” Moid says. “After working in primary care, I thought preventive medicine needs some more people like me.”

She still remembers the night before Thanksgiving when she received her acceptance letter.

“It was one of the best days of my life,” she says.

Starting graduate school in her 50s came with challenges. English is her second language, and she worried about keeping up in an American classroom. Those concerns faded quickly when, on her first day of classes, she instantly felt supported by her professors.

“The faculty are the reason I graduated,” she says. “They showed me everything: how to navigate UB Learns, how to check grades, how to write a cover letter. They spent time with me, and they believed in me.”

She also found support among her younger classmates, many of whom were the same age as her children.

“The other students were very friendly, and I never felt alone,” she says.

One month into her first semester, Moid was offered a student assistant position in the Women’s Health Initiative clinic. Two months after graduation, she was hired as a part-time research assistant in the same department.

While Moid was building her new academic path, her daughter was shaping her own. After earning her undergraduate degree in international politics at UB, Sayeed returned for a master’s in global affairs.

“The program pushed me in ways I didn’t expect,” Sayeed says. “But watching my mom go back to school pushed me even more. If she could do it, I had no excuse.”

The two didn’t realize they would be graduating together until late last fall.

“Graduating together wasn’t planned,” Moid says. “But when it happened, I thought — this is amazing.”

For Sayeed, this moment isn’t just about earning her own degree. It’s about honoring and celebrating her mother’s achievement, as well.

“This is her graduation,” Sayeed says. “She gave up her medical career to raise us. Seeing her return to school, in a new country, in a new language — it’s inspiring.”

Both women hope their story encourages others, especially women in the Bengali community, to pursue education at any age.

“In our culture, women are often told they’re too old to be students,” Sayeed says. “But my mom broke that stigma. Because of her, other women we know have gone back to school, too.”

“There is no timeline,” Moid says. “You can learn at any age. You can start again at any age.”

After commencement, Moid plans to continue her work in public health and pursue certification as a Certified Public Health professional.

Sayeed recently began a position at M&T Bank and hopes to find new opportunities after graduation.

“I’m ready for something new,” Sayeed says. “UB gave me the confidence to go after it.”

As they prepare for commencement, the mother-daughter duo shares a single sentiment: deep gratitude — for UB, for one another and for the rare opportunity to celebrate a milestone they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.