Convocation is a special time of year as students of all backgrounds prepare to celebrate the incredible milestone of completing their degree. Student-athletes carry a unique set of responsibilities throughout their university careers, balancing their studies with training and performance goals season after season. Some student-athletes go above and beyond even that great achievement.
From starting businesses while still in school to pouring their time into their communities and being recognized with scholarships and awards—these are the student-athletes walking the stage this season who are leaving legacies here at Saint Mary’s.
Abigail MacKenzie
Hailing from Stellarton, Nova Scotia, Abigail came to Saint Mary’s to pursue an education in the Faculty of Science. Bringing experience from her time with the Northern Subway Selects of the Maritime Major Under-18 (18U) Female Hockey League, Abigail joined the SMU Huskies Women’s Hockey team and is finishing her career with the Huskies as an “offensive defender” who made her mark on the ice.
Boasting an impressive record, MacKenzie was recognized as a 2025-26 U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian, is a four-time Academic All-Canadian, and has been recognized as a three-time Atlantic University Sports (AUS) All-Star. Abigail also represented Team Canada at the 2023 FISU University Games, helping lead the team to a silver medal.
She walks the stage with a BSc in Psychology.
Jayrell Diggs
The student-athlete entrepreneur from East Preston, Nova Scotia made waves on and off the court during his Huskies Basketball Career, making history as the All-Time leader in AUS men’s basketball three-pointers made.
A two-time AUS All-Star and Academic All-Canadian, Jayrell was named 2023-24 Saint Mary’s Male Athlete of the Year, as well as a 2021-22 U SPORTS All-Rookie Team member during his time with the Huskies.
He’s also the founder of laundry service company SudDrop, and has received numerous entrepreneurship awards and scholarships in addition to working with the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre to make his idea a lucrative reality.
Jayrell is graduating with a BComm in General Business Studies.
Emilia Mikanovich
Hailing from an extremely athletic family in Belarus, Emilia’s journey to Saint Mary’s was anything but ordinary. With a father that coaches for teams like the Belarus Men's National Volleyball Team and a mother who, most recently, worked as an Assistant Chief Judge at the 2026 IWWF European Waterski Championships, it's no wonder that Emilia was a top player for her age group by the time she was 14 years old.
She played three seasons of professional volleyball in Europe before deciding to pursue her education, and after a series of delays, she and fellow teammate Alena Piatukhova travelled together to begin their journey at SMU.
Emilia ends her time with the Huskies as a two-time U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian, AUS Most Valuable Player, AUS Championship Most Valuable Player, and a four-time Academic All-Canadian.
Emilia is also the 2025-2026 Saint Mary's Female Athlete of the Year and the 2025-26 AUS Female Athlete of the Year and is nominated for the 2026 Lois and Doug Mitchell Award as U SPORTS Athlete of the Year.
She’s leaving SMU with a profound athletic legacy and a BSc in Biology.
Taylor Lougheed
Calgary, Alberta-born Taylor came to the Huskies Women’s Volleyball team in 2022 after being named to the 2021 17U Provincial Team and a competition streak with the 18U Lions High Performance Volleyball Club.
Serving as a setter on the Huskies team, Taylor is wrapping up her time at Saint Mary’s with a very full trophy shelf, having captained the Huskies to back-to-back AUS Championships in 2025-26 and 2024-25. A four-time Academic All-Canadian, Taylor was also named to the 2022-23 U SPORTS All-Rookie Team and was recognized as a 2022-23 AUS All-Star. She was also a 2022 Sobey National Innovator Award recipient.
In the 2025-26 season, she was a Saint Mary’s Female President’s Award Nominee and received the AUS Student-Athlete Community Service Award. She was also a featured Athletics Ambassador with the Scott McCain & Leslie McLean Centre for Sport, Business and Health, and received the prestigious 2025 Frank H. Sobey Award for Excellence in Business Studies.
Taylor crosses the stage this year with a BComm in Accounting.
Reid Valade
Born in Caledon, Ontario, Reid joined the Huskies after a “after a very productive junior career in Kitchener,” where he scored 163 points in 240 regular season games with the Kitchener Rangers. Serving as Assistant Captain for his last two years with that team, he came to Saint Mary’s with a record of success and demonstrated leadership experience on the ice.
Thriving as a forward and assistant captain with the Huskies Men’s Hockey Team, Reid was named a 2025-26 U SPORTS Second Team All-Canadian after leading the country in scoring and helping the Huskies to a U SPORTS Silver Medal. He is also a two-time Academic All-Canadian and AUS All-Star.
Reid is graduating this year with a BComm in Finance.
Deana Symes
Born and raised in Sackville, Nova Scotia, Deana Symes BSc’24 is wrapping up her Huskies career as a centre on the Women’s Rugby Team.
A five-time Academic All-Canadian, Deana is the 2026 recipient of the Student Leadership Recognition Award at Saint Mary’s in addition to receiving the 2025-26 Saint Mary’s Female President’s Award for Academic and Athletic Achievement and boasts a long career of community volunteerism at SMU.
Working as a Community Food Room volunteer, a Medical Campus Response Team volunteer and a Research Ethics Board member in addition to her varsity commitments, her goals of pursuing a career in the medical field are supported by years of hard work and dedication to her team and to the university at large.
Deana is graduating with a Masters of Applied Science in Inorganic Chemistry.