East Grand Rapids resident Meg Simon is a finalist for one of college hockey’s most prestigious awards. The senior hockey player at Middlebury College, an academically rigorous liberal arts college in Vermont, is one of five finalists for the Hockey Humanitarian Award, which honors collegiate players for their efforts as volunteers in their communities. Simon is the only Division III player selected as a finalist for the award.
Simon volunteers regularly for Special Olympics Vermont, youth hockey in the town of Middlebury, and she mentors students in Middlebury’s public schools.
Meg Simon grew up around hockey. Her father, Ben Simon, played in the NHL and several other professional leagues before becoming a coach for the Grand Rapids Griffins in 2015. Her family moved 57 times before settling permanently in West Michigan. She played hockey for the Grand Rapids Area Hockey Association and later played on the boys’ varsity team at East Grand Rapids High School.
She credits her parents, Ben and Beth Simon, with instilling the sense of civic mindedness she displays daily but more broadly emphasizes the degree to which hockey culture encourages players to make a difference in their communities.
“I saw how professional hockey players gave back to their community and that really stuck with me,” Simon said. She recalls players from the Griffins coming into her classroom and reading to her class.
While growing up in west Michigan, she volunteered with Grand Rapids youth hockey. Simon took particular pride in serving as a role model for little girls who were just starting out in the sport. She recalls female hockey players serving as an inspiration for her when she was just learning to play.
“Now that I’m in college and I have the opportunity to go into classrooms or volunteer with hockey programs, I try to show up in a similar way to what they did for me,” Simon said, citing the influence of her father in particular.
Simon is a member of Middlebury’s golf team as well.
“The other day, a little boy that comes to our games and sits near the bench during warm-ups, he came to the game with a ‘28’ jersey, which is my number. It made me cry,” Simon said. She had gone to the boy’s school to read and played with him and his classmates during recess.
Simon will be graduating this spring with an economics degree. Next year, she will be pursuing a master’s degree at the University of Notre Dame, the school where her parents met and her sister competes as a swimmer.
Simon is incredibly humble about her achievements, describing the recognition she has received as evidence of the work her entire team has done in their community.
“This is something I’m really proud of and something I don’t take lightly,” Simon said.
