Faculty of Humanities graduates Miria Pelletier (BA ’24, BEd ’24) and Madelyn Huston (MA ’24) have made a lasting mark on Brock through their academic success, contributions to student life and athletic achievements.

They each received a Board of Trustees Spirit of Brock medal in recognition of their dedication and talent on Friday, on June 14 during Brock’s 115th Convocation.

Huston, who graduated with a master’s degree in Classical Studies, earned the highest academic average in all Humanities graduate programs while competing as a member of the Brock Badgers women’s cross-country team and the women’s track and field team.

Qualifying and competing at both the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and U SPORTS National Championships for both cross-country and track, Huston was named the women’s cross-country team’s Most Valuable Badger at the Badgers’ year-end awards gala.

“I would argue that being an athlete makes you better scholar, it’s certainly true for me,” she said. “It’s easy to get consumed by your work, so having a sport that requires you to leave your desk keeps your perspective fresh.”

In January, she was awarded the 2022-23 Brock Badgers Academic Excellence Award, which honours student-athletes who achieve an average of 80 per cent or higher within their program of study.

Huston chose Brock for her graduate studies because of the immediate support she received from the Faculty of Humanities. Her graduate research explored how modern media reinterprets and communicates ancient myths of enslaved females in classical Greek and Latin poetry.

“Most importantly, my research asks how we might see agency for these characters despite their marginalization,” she said.

Brock University Board of Trustees member Kevin Magee (BA ’14), left, presented Miria Pelletier (BA ’24, BEd ’24) with the Spirit of Brock medal Thursday, June 13 during the University’s 115th Convocation.

Much like Huston, the faculty support and welcoming environment in Humanities left a lasting impression on Pelletier. An aspiring educator, she graduated from Brock’s Concurrent Teacher Education program with a Bachelor of Arts in History and a Bachelor of Education (BEd).

Hailing from the small Ontario township of St. Clair, Pelletier was driven to get the most out of her university experience. While she has always taken academics seriously, she recognized that getting involved would help her hit her stride at Brock.

Pelletier took a leap of faith in her first year and joined the Brock University Historical Society (BUHS).

For the next four years, Pelletier forged lasting connections at BUHS, where she became President and helped to return the club to full capacity in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“My leadership skills flourished because of the support of the History department, especially returning to campus and planning events after pandemic-related closures were over,” she said.

Pelletier played a key role in several public history projects, including assisting in the creation of an oral history collection preserving the legacy of the Garden City Arena in St. Catharines as part of Brock’s Sport Oral History Archive.

“Working on this project deepened my connection to the wider Niagara community by gathering memories through the community collecting event and conducting oral history interviews, which is especially important now that the arena has been torn down,” she said.

One of the most impactful experiences for Pelletier was working as a Learning Services peer facilitator for Student Life and Success, which she began in her fourth year and continued while completing her two-year BEd.

“Hosting academic and life skills workshops in the library, online and in Hadiya’dagénhahs First Nations, Métis and Inuit Student Centre allowed me to connect with a variety of university students and share my insights,” Pelletier said.

“Through every workshop that I facilitated, I aimed to leave students with a sense of confidence in themselves and their capabilities,” she said. “University is a large learning curve for many, and I enjoyed helping students improve their skill set while navigating post-secondary.”