Canadian soprano Measha Brueggergosman was in her hometown of Fredericton on Wednesday night to receive an honorary degree from St. Thomas University during its summer convocation.

With the international opera star was one of her first voice instructors, Mabel Doak, who also received an honorary degree.

The liberal arts university's convocation was planned as a time to celebrate the relationship between students and teachers.

Brueggergosman, 32, said it meant a lot to receive the degree in her hometown, and with her teacher by her side.

"“It’s all the more special that I get to receive it with Mabel Doak, who was a very important mentor for me in my early education, and is also a pillar of the Fredericton community," she said.

"When I was studying with Mabel, it was really the beginning of my formation as an artist, as a student, as a teacher myself, as somebody who had hoped to be the very best at what I could do."

The school gave out the degrees as a way to celebrate the relationship between teachers and students.

Doak said she was shocked to be given an honorary degree, adding she teaches voice for the pure joy of it.

"Having my students sing and use what I’ve taught them is more pleasure to me than when I sang myself," she said.

Overcomes obesity, heart problem

Brueggergosman was awarded her degree based on her contribution to the arts.

In June, she underwent emergency open-heart surgery to repair a torn aorta.

She is under doctor’s orders to rest for at least a month, and three appearances with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra as well as a performance in Austria were cancelled.

The internationally renowned opera star has won a Juno Award, and performed for the Queen and Nelson Mandela.

She recently achieved a dramatic weight loss of about 150 pounds, which she said was a result of Bikram yoga.