For her long and outstanding devotion to the College, Staci Williams Seeley, a member of the Class of 1990, has been named the recipient of the 2020 Alumni Service Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Bowdoin Alumni Council.
The award is presented each year in recognition of an individual’s record of volunteer service to the College.
Seeley has been and continues to be one of Bowdoin’s most active and influential advocates for the College and for people of color within the College community. As president of the Alumni Council, she led efforts to welcome new students of color to the College, and continued her role as a leader and champion of diversity and inclusion at Bowdoin when she served as chair of the host committee of AF/AM/50, the recent celebration of fifty years of Africana studies, the African American Society, and the John B. Russwurm African American Center. In describing Seeley’s many contributions to the College, a staff member said, “Staci pushes Bowdoin to be a better and more inclusive and aware campus through her continued participation and devotion.”
As a student, Seeley was a vocal leader and community builder, serving in several influential roles, including senior interviewer for admissions, assistant conference coordinator for the Bowdoin College Summer Programs office, president of the African American Society, member of the Committee on Curriculum and Educational Policy, and student representative to the Governing Boards Committee on Minority Affairs. She spent many hours working as a student assistant for the Africana Studies Program, the campus scheduling office, and the dean of the College—and still found time to sing as a member of the Chamber Choir and the student-led Gospel Choir.
Since graduating from Bowdoin, Seeley has balanced a successful and impactful career as an educator and administrator with an extraordinary commitment to the College. In her seven years as a member of the Alumni Council, she served as council president, chair of the Multicultural and Executive Committees, and member of the Awards and Nominations Committees, as well as an affiliate member of the Development and College Relations Committee of the Board of Trustees.
She has also served as a Reunion Committee member for her 25th and 30th Reunions, a longtime BCAN advisor and BASIC/BRAVO volunteer, and a host committee member for multicultural alumni gatherings. In addition to these official responsibilities, Seeley has been a critically important informal mentor for many students and alumni of color. In her many significant roles, she has been described as “involved, observant, active, and devoted.”
Read about the other award recipients.
