EAST GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — An East Grand Rapids hockey player has earned national recognition for her community impact off the ice.
Meg Simon, a senior at Middlebury College in Vermont, was named the winner of the Hockey Humanitarian Award, a national honor presented each year to one NCAA hockey player for community impact and leadership.
Simon, who graduated from East Grand Rapids High School in 2022, received the news during a phone call at a coffee shop in Middlebury.
"I actually was at the same little coffee shop, which I think is hilarious, but I got a phone call from the person who had interviewed me," Simon said. "The person who interviewed me said, you know, as you know, we had a lot of great candidates, and, you know, I said, okay, you can tell me it's okay. He said, and you're actually our winner."
Simon had to keep the news secret for several weeks before the public announcement. She was flown to Las Vegas for the award ceremony.
The award recognizes Simon's extensive community service work, which began in East Grand Rapids and continued at Middlebury College.
"I was raised in a community that really cared about sports and, you know, but I was also really raised in a community that cared about each other," she said.
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Simon said her service mindset began early in East Grand Rapids.
"In the elementary schools and the high school, there's always times where, you know, we're decorating paper bags for kids food basket, for kids who don't have access to lunch," Simon said.
During her senior year at East Grand Rapids, Simon served as a student leader for the Hearts of Gold Foundation, a local nonprofit. She also served as president of the Youth Advisory Board for the Billy Bear Hug Foundation, which raises money and teddy bears for children battling critical illnesses in West Michigan.
While accepting the individual honor, Simon emphasized the team effort behind her community work.
"Who's really the winner is my team. The impact that we've had on Middlebury's community at large is something that I'll be forever proud of," she said.
Simon credited her parents for shaping her values and said her mission won't change regardless of where hockey or life takes her next.
"Whatever's next, I'll be doing, I'll be being the same person that I am Today, but also, you know, doing good in the world, and hopefully using, you know, my platform, to be a force for good," she said.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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