Mel B Accepts Honorary Doctorate in a Custom Leopard-Print Graduation Gown, and It's “So” Scary Spice

The former pop star also wore an ultra-glam dress as she received the honor from Leeds Beckett University

What Mel B really, really wants is a chic graduation look — and she got it!

Over the weekend, the Spice Girls singer received an honorary doctorate from Leeds Beckett University, which recognized the star for her work with domestic abuse victims and her global influence as a "music icon."

The mom of two and Leeds native, 49, celebrated her milestone in style, wearing a custom graduation gown lined with ‘90s leopard-print fabric as an ode to Scary Spice's fierce fashion sense.

In photos shared by the university, a proud Mel B can be seen showing the inside of her bespoke grad gown, which she wore over a bedazzled olive green dress with a sexy keyhole cutout. She accessorized with statement hoop earrings and even decked out her nails with a chic mani for the occasion.

Mel B, whose full name is Melani Brown, often channels her pop star persona in animal print (like when she and her daughter Phoenix Brown twinned in leopard-inspired lingerie in 2023), proving that Scary Spice will forever be in her heart — and in her closet!

Related: What the Spice Girls Wore for Their Glam Reunion at Victoria Beckham's 50th Birthday Bash

Sharing photos and videos from the ceremony and her graduation shoot to Instagram, she opened up about her next chapter.

“WOWWWWW I have no words … 48 hours on I still feel so emotional…this day has been so special to me,” she wrote alongside the post, expressing her gratitude for the university and its courses.

“I can't believe I did it. I was so nervous but so excited at the same time. This means more to me than I’ll ever be able to say,” she continued, adding that she wanted to further her education to not only heal from her own experience as a victim of domestic abuse, but to also “help many many more people too.”

After thanking her family, she concluded her message by adding: “This is my mission, this is all about one thing being a survivor — helping survivors, breaking the silence and using my voice to help others.”

She shared similar sentiments in her acceptance speech, saying that the award was just “as massive” as performing on stage with the Spice Girls at Wembley Stadium in London.

Related: Mel B's Lookalike Daughter Phoenix Recreates Mom's Iconic Spice Girls Outfits — See Her Transformation 

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

The singer has, in recent years, opened up about the aftermath of her abusive marriage to film producer Stephen Belafonte, whom she has alleged was physically and emotionally abusive in their relationship, which also took a toll on her finances. The two divorced in 2017.

“Obviously any situation is better than being with your abuser, but when you’ve left that kind of abusive situation, it’s like starting all over again,” she previously told the BBC. “You have to learn to trust people. You have to learn to trust yourself.”

In order to heal, she left Los Angeles and moved back to England, where she stayed with her mother, Andrea Brown. She said her decision to do so also helped her save money to buy her own home again, something she thought would “never be on the cards” following years of paying legal fees and payments to her ex-husband.

Related: Mel B's Ex Says 'Disastrous Divorce Court' Is Over as Abuse Allegations Against Him Are Dropped

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

In an expanded version of her memoir, Brutally Honest, she further spoke on the trauma she endured throughout the 10-year marriage and in the years that followed.

“I think it’s so important to honestly say what happens when you leave abuse, because it’s not as easy as some people may think,” she told PEOPLE in March. “For example, my mother would say, ‘What’s wrong with you? You’re fine now. You’ve left him.’ And I’d be going, ‘Yeah, but now I’ve got to pick up the pieces and I’ve got to deal with the shame and the guilt, and I want to protect my kids.’ And I don’t want to block out what happened because I did that for a little bit, and you get PTSD.”

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.