Happy Homecoming, Penn State!

Penn State Homecoming announced the nominees of its 2024 Homecoming court on Saturday, September 21. Homecoming festivities started on Sunday with the golf tournament and Rally and Roar events and will run until Penn State football kicks off against Illinois on Saturday, September 28.

Everything you need to know about the student, graduate, and university courts is detailed in their biographies below. Check out their extended list of accomplishments and university involvements.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Penn State Homecoming (@psuhomecoming)

Student Court

Jade Bramwell

Major: Broadcast journalism major
Involvement: President of National Association of Black Journalists Penn State Chapter, Bellisario student mentor, Culture Central News Anchor, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. member

Brooklynn Jones

Major: Criminology and psychology major with minors in sociology and legal studies 
Involvement: President of National Pan-Hellenic Council, Secretary for Black Emotive Advocacy Team, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. member, contributor to PSU Votes and Leauge of Women Voters

Mustapha Salau

Major: Mechanical engineering
Involvement: Vice President of National Society of Black Engineers, Vice President of Black Muslim Initiative at Penn State, Assistant Director of College Brother Affairs for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.’s Eastern Region, and student researcher

Michael Garza

Major: Criminology with honors in sociology with minors in human development and family studies and Latina/o Studies
Involvement: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Intern for Schreyer Honors College, Vice President for Multicultural Greek Council, Vice President of University Relations for Latino Caucus, Community Service Chair for Sigma Lambda Beta International Fraternity, Inc., former Co-Membership Chair for Penn State NAACP Chapter, and Penn State Latino Caucus

Jayden Foxx

Major: Political science with a double minor in crime, law, psychology, and African American studies
Involvement: Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority Incorporated Chapter Treasurer, Community service chair, Stroll captain, and Public Relations chair; and former Chapter Recruitment and Retention Advisor

Bailey McLaughlin

Major: Biobehavioral health with biology minor
Involvement: Schreyer Scholar, Senior Biology Learning Assistant, Anatomy Teaching Assistant, researcher in Behavioral Neurogenetics and Neuroethics Labs, THON Family Relations Chair for AED, and President of Scientific Journal Club

Ashley Lebron

Major: Secondary education social studies major with a minor in social justice in education
Involvement: Vice President of Phi Alpha Chapter of Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority Inc., Penn State tour guide, and BLUEprint peer mentor

Owen Haddad

Major: Public relations, advertising, and applied communication
Involvement: President of Penn State Lion Ambassadors, former First Year Council of UPUA and Speaker of the Assembly

Zion Sykes

Major: Global and international Studies and political science
Involvement: President of UPUA, Schreyer Scholar, Perreault Fellow, Essence of Joy choir member

Lenneya Murray

Major: Criminology with a minor in sociology
Involvement: Schreyer Scholar, Paterno Fellow, President of Penn State Chapter of NAACP, and second Vice President of Pennsylvania NAACP Youth & College Division

Graduate Court

Mekenzie Heinle

Education: Graduate student studying speech-language pathology, bachelor’s in communication sciences and disorders, and minor in human development and family studies
Involvement: Research in Cognition and Language Learning Lab, and CSD Alumni Group. Formerly THON, Project BRIDGE, HHD Ambassadors, the Sign Language Organization, OPPALab, Vice President of National Student Speech Language and Hearing Association, CSD Instagram Ambassador, and OVR facilitator.

Tanveer Ahmed

Education: Fourth-year Ph.D. student pursuing research in transportation engineering
Involvement: Student engagement committee, Graduate Council Student Caucus, President of Bangladesh Student Association, and President of Institute of Transportation Engineers

Keia Jones

Education: Fourth-year Ph.D. candidate, pursuing dual degrees in rural sociology, and international agriculture and development
Involvement: Executive board member of Black Graduate Student Association and INTAD-GSA. Formerly LandscapeU cohort, NSF-IGE cohort, and past president of RSGA.

Seth Hojnacki

Education: Third-year law student
Involvement: President of Graduate and Professional Student Association, President of First-Generation Law Student Association, member of Penn State Alumni Council, member of Penn State Board of Trustees, member of University Park Student Fee Board

University Court

JoAnn Foley-DeFiore

Position: Senior teaching faculty in biobehavioral health
Involvement: HHD Alumni Society Teaching Award, chairs BBH Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, serves on Osaze’s Community Service Scholarship board, and former Chair of HHD’s Sustainability Council

Jennelle Malcos

Position: Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Students in the Eberly College of Science and teaching professor in the biology department

Christina Daley

Position: Teaching faculty in the health policy and administration department

Dustin Elder

Position: Admissions officer in School of Public Policy
Involvement: Co-owns and operates a small History business called Local Historia

Alumni Court

Josie McSpadden

Education: Graduated in 2000 with a degree in public relations and a minor in political science
Current Role: Leads media affairs for United States Program at Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Former global spokesperson for the Peace Corps, Deputy Director for Presidential Press Advance in George W. Bush administration.

Kylie Potter

Education: Graduated in 2023 with degree in political science
Current Role: Working for her local state Government in Arizona and serves on her local chapter’s alumni association as P.R. chair