Makayla Finn (BPhEd ’26) and Mario Berro (BSc ’23, MBA ’26) are on a mission to ensure that all student voices are heard and honoured.

The passionate advocates and campus changemakers received the Board of Trustees Spirit of Brock medal in recognition of their exemplary leadership and community impact during Brock University’s 120th Convocation on Friday, Oct. 16.

Finn, who grew up in Toronto, believes every student should have the support they need to flourish.

She was elected twice as Vice-President of the Black Student Association, served as a peer mentor with the Black Student Success Centre and was a representative for the Future Black Female’s Gender-Based Violence Youth Advisory Council.

In 2024, Finn was selected as a Sprout Ideas Fellow and launched the Black Flourishing Advocacy Initiative in St. Catharines, a project that taught her that innovation isn’t always about invention.

“Sometimes it’s about dignity, care and showing up for people who have been overlooked or ignored,” she said.

Finn’s passion for advocacy deepened as Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Research Assistant with Brock’s Human Rights and Equity Office, where she supported projects uplifting students with disabilities and members of the Black and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities on campus.

Brock Board of Trustees member Kristian Knibutat (BAdmin ’86), present Mario Berro (BSc ’23, MBA ’26) with the Spirit of Brock medal on Friday, Oct. 16 during the University’s 120th Convocation.

Her leadership evolved from her lived experiences and a childhood marked by instability.

“Every year at Brock removed another barrier from my spirit and taught me the power of showing up, speaking up and creating space for others to do the same,” she said.

Finn’s academic journey hasn’t been linear. Originally enrolled in a Concurrent Teacher Education program, she switched programs to earn a Bachelor of Physical Education with a minor in Dramatic Arts. She has since turned her minor into a bachelor’s in Dramatic Arts degree, which she is currently pursuing.

Finn said Brock was her turning point.

“It’s the place where I rebuilt myself piece by piece. The journey to creating your own path is the most important part, not the destination,” she said.

Like Finn, Berro is passionate about building community.

After earning an undergraduate degree at Brock, Berro returned to complete an MBA. His familiarity with the University helped him notice opportunities for graduate students to more closely connect with the wider campus community.

Determined to give back, he set out to amplify the visibility and impact graduate students have at Brock.

After serving on the Graduate Business Council, Berro took on the role as Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) President, where he served on University Senate, the Board of Trustees and 13 other committees representing graduate students — all while studying full-time.

“When I started, I thought I needed to have all the answers to everything,” he said. “But what I realized is leadership is learning how to listen, how to make students feel heard and taking on diverse perspectives you might not have previously considered.”

Berro’s work with the GSA included a full rebrand of the organization to help graduate students feel a stronger connection to the University.

Food and financial insecurity were also causes that Berro championed, working to drive change during his tenure by introducing new financial literacy sessions and increasing access and awareness of resources for those experiencing food insecurity.

Since finishing his program, Berro has been working as a business relationship manager at Scotiabank, including spending part of his time at the Brock campus branch.

“In every speech I gave, I told people to be delusional,” he said. “A lot of people are constrained by their fears and once you become delusional anything becomes possible. Sometimes being delusional is really worth the risk you are taking.”

Brock University’s Fall Convocation celebrated nearly 1,000 graduates who received their degrees across two ceremonies on Oct. 16. Ceremonies can be viewed online at brocku.ca/livestream