Recovering from a near-death experience would prove challenging for anyone, but as a standout athlete, Herring said it took a unique toll on him. A squash player since childhood — and a member of Brown’s championship-winning men’s squash team since he arrived at Brown in 2022  — Herring was nationally ranked and played on his province’s squad. 

“It was tough seeing how much I’d gone backward,” he said. “I was in the best shape, playing the best squash of my life, being scouted by all these different schools, and then I just fell back like crazy.” 

It was easy to spiral into negative thoughts, but as he worked his way through a years-long rehabilitation process, Herring said he felt a seismic shift in perspective. 

“This is something I had no control over, something I could have never prevented,” he said. “I realized that sometimes things just happen, and you have to keep pushing forward. It was a huge motivator to show that a transplant isn’t the end of the world — it’s actually a new beginning. It’s a new chapter of life, starting from a place of tremendous gratitude.  It urges you to become an even better person than your old self.”

A second chance and a new chapter 

Growing up in Ontario, Herring said his family home was never silent; there was always music playing, including his own guitar, piano and saxophone practice. He always knew he wanted to study music, but the influence of his computer-scientist sister inspired him to take computer science classes in high school, which he quickly fell in love with and wanted to pursue. 

At Brown, he is concentrating in both music and computer science. He said he balances the demands of the classroom and the squash court with a zest for learning that has only deepened since his transplant. Academically, he primarily focuses on music production and artificial intelligence — he hopes to work in the entertainment industry as a data analyst after he earns his bachelor’s degrees next May — but he’s also been inspired by courses he’s taken in sociology, philosophy, history and other subjects. 

“Brown’s Open Curriculum made it so I could really stretch my wings and do both things I’m interested in, while also broadening my education overall,” Herring said. 

Among the most impactful parts of Herring’s time on College Hill has been on the court, where he’s found a second family in Brown’s men’s squash team. Head Coach Arthur Gaskin became an invaluable mentor, and Herring said he’s met some of his best friends, including his roommate of three years, through the team. 

“Amazing things have happened to me at Brown because of squash,” he said. “I really do believe we’re like a family. I didn’t even know if I could play squash again when I came out of my transplant, but now I have this incredible team experience … It’s what I’ll probably treasure the most after I graduate — the community that Brown has built and the amazing people I’ve found within it.”

Herring said the camaraderie reminds him of another place where he felt an overwhelming sense of belonging: The 2025 World Transplant Games in Dresden, Germany. Last summer, Herring represented Team Canada at the games, which he described as “the Olympics for people who have received transplants.” The event brings together thousands of high-level athletes from across the world to compete in dozens of winter and summer sports. Herring finished with a silver medal in squash and left with new friends, including the athlete who won gold in Herring’s final match. 

“I felt a great sense of connection, because all of these people have gone through hell and back, too” Herring said. “But every single person there was so optimistic and full of joy They have overcome great adversity and just want to play their sports to show the world what they’re capable of. They could have easily given up, but instead, they kept pushing forward.” 

As Herring looks back on his time at Brown, he thinks not only about what he’s achieved in the classroom and on the court, but about the generosity that allowed it all to happen. He often reflects on his liver donor’s family and the chance they gave him to build a life filled with purpose and possibility.

“There are so many unique, amazing people who want to tell their stories and help the world, but they need a transplant to do it,” Herring said. “Really, a transplant is a gift of life. Each transplant recipient is with us only because another person gave them the ultimate gift. I urge everyone to register as an organ donor or consider living donation. It saves lives, it creates stories, and it betters the world in every possible way.”