The final applause of a Convocation ceremony is a hallmark moment, capturing the joy of graduates’ success so far and bright hopes for their futures.

For women’s hockey player Mia Landry (BA ’23), that future includes a career coaching the next generation of female athletes.

Landry was the first of 95 graduating student-athletes to cross the stage during Brock University’s 113th Convocation. She graduated on Monday, June 12 with Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.

Empowered by the leadership skills she acquired as a student-athlete, Landry took on the role of assistant coach with the girls’ hockey team at Ridley College, a private boarding and university-preparatory school in St. Catharines.

She will also begin working on a Master of Science in Applied Health Sciences degree at Brock this fall with a focus on sports psychology.

“Brock has opened numerous doors for me. The Hockey Canada program has given me a pathway to receive excellent mentorship through numerous coaches,” Landry said. “More importantly, it’s been an opportunity to be a part of the St. Catharines community as a coach and role model to young female hockey players.”

Landry, who played defence, made the most of her time in Brock Sports. As a member of the Brock women’s hockey team, she had the opportunity to enrol in Hockey Canada’s Creating Coaches program where she worked with the Brock Jr. Badgers U13 team.

She also helped the Brock women’s hockey team make program history by winning its first ever Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Championship title and enrolled in the Brock Sports Performance (BSP) internship program as a Student Performance Coach working directly with varsity athletes.

BSP, the Badgers’ high-performance program, designs periodized training programs for next generation, varsity, national and professional athletes.

“The coaching skills and knowledge I’ve learned during the BSP internship have properly equipped me for next my pursuit,” she said. “I’ve always had an interest in coaching. Being a part of the BSP has allowed me to develop my teaching skills and further grow my passion for helping others improve.”

Landry’s personal growth goals included learning how to coach effectively, develop leadership skills and make meaningful connections.

“Mia’s energy and eagerness to learn was evident from day one. She would always be the first to volunteer for any extracurricular coaching opportunity that we offered,” said Lead Sport Performance Coach Vicki Bendus. “This accelerated her development and gave her valuable experience which quickly grew her confidence to be in front of groups and lead.”

The experience motivated Landry to obtain a certification for Mental Performance Consulting and set out for a career developing the next generation of female hockey players.

Landry grew up playing hockey in the small community of Gowanstown, Ont., located two hours west of Toronto.

In 2020, she transferred to Brock University after playing NCAA hockey in the United States.

At the time, Landry wasn’t able a chance to visit campus before enrolling due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

She relied instead on the advice of her mother Lori Frew (BA ’90, BEd ’90) and cousin Kelsey Smith (BPhEd ’18, BEd ’18), who played women’s rugby for the Badgers.

“I knew from their experiences that Brock’s student-athlete culture and the campus’ intimate-feel would be a perfect fit for who I am,” Landry said. “Brock surpassed my expectations and has been a life-changing experience with transformative opportunities.”