Where are they now? AC Alum Marlayah McLeod performs national anthem at 2026 Convocation

Posted on Wednesday, August 12th, 2026

AC alumna Marlayah McLeod performs the national anthem at the college’s 2026 Spring Convocation.

Meet Marlayah McLeod, an artist, producer, performer and proud Algonquin College alumna. McLeod graduated from the School of Media and Design in 2024 and joined the College community as the 2026 national anthem singer at Algonquin College’s Spring Convocation ceremonies held in Ottawa. The event consisted of twelve ceremonies over four days, celebrating over 12,000 eligible graduates.

“It meant a lot seeing some of my professors there, and watching some of my friends graduate,” McLeod said of her experience at convocation. “It was a really fun and memorable experience. Everyone treated me so nicely. In the past, I’ve sung the anthem at sports games for the Ottawa 67s, the Ottawa Redblacks, the Ottawa Senators, the Toronto Raptors and the Canadian Paralympic Games, so this was a special way to come back to the College community.”

McLeod, who was born and raised in Ottawa, is a fresh-face making waves in the national capital arts scene. She started taking her music more seriously in 2023, with a release party for her debut album, Sugar Khane, under her artist name Miss McLeod.

Her time at Algonquin College gave her confidence and real-world performance tools and skills including voice and acting lessons and learning how to create a demo reel.

“I have actually used that demo reel to get paid voice acting work, so it’s really cool to see things come together with real results,” she said.

“The best takeaway from college was the connections. The professors were very helpful, and I met some of my best friends at school. We still create things together. One of my friends and recently I performed together in Rock of Ages at the Hard Rock Café,” McLeod shared.

McLeod was also cast in lead roles in local productions of The Wizard of Oz, and the upcoming Jagged Little Pill on stage this Fall. Between sports arenas and professional musical theatre performances, McLeod has been making a splash on the arts scene as a jill-of-all-trades entrepreneur. McLeod has released three studio albums and a few singles, including her most recent, 2026, and I Wanna Be Hot. She was featured in Ottawa Bluesfest’s Emerging Artists category in 2025 and will be performing with her pop punk band Steady Rain at CityFolk on Sept. 20, 2026.

McLeod produces her own music videos, and sews all the costumes herself, drives the creative vision, as well as producing her own merchandise.

To other rising creatives, McLeod’s message is simple: “Support what you love. You’ll never know until you try. Feed your passions and invest in yourself. Focus on yourself, and just do it. Move without hesitation.”

To learn more about the Faculty of Arts, Media and Design, please visit our website.


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