ISLAMABAD: Momina Mustehsan’s name is synonymous with bold, active and participating young Pakistanis. She is one of the most recognizable singers to come out in recent years, with over 1.5 million follows across her social media platforms, well over 100 million views on YouTube for her Coke Studio collaborations, and a number of endorsement deals seeing her splashed across billboards and television screens nationwide.
Her platform has also granted her opportunities to work with campaigns created by UN Women and more, and use her voice to back causes she is passionate about — but before all of this, Momina had sought out and completed her undergraduate degree from Stony Brook University in New York, USA. Her Alma Mater has kept up with the songstress, particularly for putting her platform to good use.
In their 4th annual 40 Under Forty, this year the University included Momina among their honorees for her Civil Service and Activism. Momina graduated from Stony Brook in 2015 with a degree in Bio-Medical Engineering, Applied Mathematics and Statistics.
“I am supremely humbled to receive the 40 Under Forty honor by Stony Brook University in the category of Civil Service and Activism,” said Momina. Receiving the award from the President of the University Samuel L. Stanley and Alumni Association President Bedel Saget, Momina took a bit of home with her, “I proudly wore my Pakistani flag [while accepting the award], right above the Stony Brook pin – two major parts of my identity.’
Stony Brook University’s 40 Under Forty highlight students who have gone on to have success across a diverse range of fields including business, technology, community and philanthropic efforts.
Momina, who was a prominent feature in last year’s UN Women’s campaign for Pakistan, has been candid about her drive to give back to Pakistan. In 2016, in an interview with local television channel ARY 1, she confirmed that she had donated her 2016 earnings to build water-wells in Thar desert in Sindh, Pakistan, which has been facing a brutal drought and famine.
It has been a great year for Momina Mustehsan who was also featured as one of BBC’s 100 Influential and Impactful Women on the international list for 2017.
