Hall of Honor
Heather (Mann) Rigby grew up in Canada before moving to West Virginia as a 13-year-old. It was during her time north of the border when Heather, class of 2002, grew to love sports. The young athlete was drawn to anything competitive, including golf, ringette, swimming, volleyball, track and badminton. But soccer was always her favorite, she says.
Heather credits her dad for starting a club in her small town that gave her and the other kids a chance to play organized soccer. And she credits her family with providing a Christian home where Heather learned about God’s sustaining grace.
As she was nearing the end of a successful high school career in West Virginia and was contemplating her next steps, a family friend recommended Houghton. Heather describes the next steps in her journey as serendipitous. When she contacted then-Houghton Coach David Lewis, he told her he had already heard of her from men’s soccer Coach Dwight Hornibrook. Five years earlier, Hornibrook had seen Heather play at a camp he directed in Prince Edward Island when she was 12 years old.
Heather arrived at Houghton as a freshman in 1998, made her mark immediately on the soccer field and was part of some of Houghton’s most successful teams. During her four seasons, she was a three-time NAIA Honorable Mention All-America selection and earned conference player of the year following the 2000 season. She totaled 48 goals and 40 assists during her career. Her 136 points are ninth all-time in Houghton history. The Highlanders went 73-10-3 and made three NAIA National Tournament appearances over her four seasons.
Heather says this about her Houghton experience: “I have wonderful memories of winning championships and attending the national tournament. But what I mostly remember is how our team cared for one another. As a junior player on the team, I remember it was our captains who would carry the balls and gear down to the field. Through many examples like that, I experienced the power of being a servant leader as my teammates and coach put others before themselves and were thankful for the opportunities to do so.”
The Christian foundation she received as a child continued as she developed at Houghton and it was evident in how Coach Lewis led his teams. “Playing soccer at Houghton was always framed by faith. Through our coach’s mentorship, we learned to play the game and live our lives in the name of the Lord Jesus, with gratitude,” Heather says.
Heather earned a bachelor’s degree in biology, graduating as Salutatorian of the Class of 2002.
After Houghton, she attended Dalhousie Medical School in Halifax, Nova Scotia obtaining her degree in medicine. She went on to complete a neurology residency at Dalhousie followed by a Movement Disorder Fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona. She continued on with a Master of Medical Education through Dundee University.
She now practices as an Associate Professor of Neurology at Dalhousie University where her interest is in Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders.
Heather says she enjoys the team of neurologists, trainees, nurses, and other allied health professionals who she works alongside. “It is that teamwork and collaboration that is needed to make a real difference in people’s lives,” she adds.
She and her husband, Matt, also a 2002 Houghton graduate, reside in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada with their five children. While she stills plays soccer for fun, her main involvement in the sport is serving as a coach for her children’s teams. “I have found coaching to be a wonderful way to invest in my kids and in my community, and to teach young people a game that brings a lot of joy and important life lessons along the way,” Heather concludes.
