You don’t need to watch every Avengers movie to know that most superheroes keep their identities secret. Though they help save people from everything from bus crashes to supervillains to giant aliens, they usually do so while disguised in spandex suits complete with a mask. Thankful citizens can throw them a parade, but it’s hard to thank someone you’ve never seen.  

This month, The Journal wants to pull the mask off some of Queen’s own superheroes. In our final article of the series, we’re featuring three students who have been outstanding friends—two of which happened to nominate the other. 

Their friends have nominated them for all the time they’ve given back to the Queen’s and Kingston community. Instead of throwing a parade, they wanted to share all their heroic deeds and tell them just how important they really are. 

***

“Chloe Dimerman and I became friends in our second year at Queen’s. Since then, I’ve come to realize what a wonderful person she is. 

First, Chloe is the founding member of a sorority, Delta Pi, in Kingston, where she advocates for female empowerment and mental health support. She has promoted and hosted many events for the sorority to ensure active involvement. For Delta Pi charity events, which donate money to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), Chloe has actively taken part in discussions to reduce stigma and support those in need of help. She’s always open to telling her own story of her mental health, which makes her even more empowering. 

Chloe has also educated others on mental health through her work with Jack.org as a Jack Talks mental health speaker, where she did public speaking engagements to youth.

As a part-time receptionist for ASUS, she ensured that everything ran smoothly. Chloe also works full-time in a psych lab on campus, and often advocates for female involvement in psychology and science. 

Despite how busy she keeps herself, she always makes time for friends and often checks in with everyone to make sure they are doing okay. People often make jokes about how busy she is, and yet she spends her free time taking care of others. She is the most wonderful person and I consider myself lucky to be her friend.”

—Jess Katzman

I met Prarthana Pathak on the second day of Orientation Week in Leggett Hall, as we bonded over a Kanye West song in the common room. Since then, we have been best friends. I couldn’t imagine my experience at Queen’s without her by my side.

She is the type of friend who will make sure to check up on you when you’re having a rough week and that will always hype you up no matter what. Par is one of the most down-to-earth people I know, especially when you want to have a genuine conversation. She is always the one I turn to when I’m stressed or need a friend. I know that if I need her, she will always be there to support me.

Throughout the three years I have known Par, I have seen her work hard to improve her grades and fully immerse herself in her academics. I am so proud of her hard work and dedication to all of her classes.  

On campus, she’s the president of Inquire Publication and in this role, I have seen her step up as a leader to other members of the club and work hard to revamp the website while putting out new launches for the publication. She also works for Residence Life to plan programs for the first-year students and creates amazing posters to be displayed around residences.

Par has impeccable organizational skills, as she balances her schoolwork, clubs, work, and being a great friend to all. I’m so lucky to call her my best friend forever.

—Stephanie Nagy

“Stephanie Nagy is the perfect example of a student superhero. She has been a huge influence on me since the day I met her. Not only is she a highly motivated and determined person, but she’s also a superhero scholar, always going above and beyond to achieve her goals.

She’s currently a Don and is a fantastic support system for her students, the same way she is for her friends. She goes above and beyond to ensure the students on her floor are safe and in a positive environment. She encourages making connections with her students so that they have a safe place to go to if they’re experiencing difficulties. This is evident to Stephanie’s friends when we bump into her current or past students. They greet her with such enthusiasm and pride, because she truly enriched their experience at Queen’s.

Stephanie is also currently studying nursing, and is volunteering at a hospital on the orthopedic surgery floor gaining experience for the future. She’s also doing clinical research for neonatal abstinence syndrome, allowing her to further understand the needs of vulnerable populations. It truly shows her passion for helping others, and wanting to gain as much knowledge as she can so that she can execute her job well in the future.

Juggling school, extracurriculars, donning, volunteering, and research all at the same time proves that Stephanie is a true student superhero. I’m so proud of everything she has achieved. I consider her an inspiration, and a huge motivator for students to work hard to achieve their goals.” 

—Prarthana Pathak