While the polls have been open for a few days already, there’s still plenty of time left to vote for the 2010  Homecoming King and Queen. Get to know the candidates!

Danielle DaSilva is a senior majoring in mechanical engineering and minoring in engineering mechanics. She’s the president of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), where she helped to increase membership in the club 15%. DaSilva also organized a program for high school visits and recruitment through Lion Scouts. Her proudest accomplishment was dancing in THON.

Dan Florencio is a senior majoring in philosophy. He is the Executive VP of the Penn State Interfraternity Council, President of the Zeta PsiFraternity, Pi Sigma Chapter (within which he was named North American Outstanding Undergraduate in 2009), and he has served as a member of OPPerations for THON. Outside of the PSU community, Florencio has interned at Freedom Works, where he helped with Mike Lee’s senatorial campaign, at the U.S. Department of State Virtual Student Foreign Service, where he assisted the U.S. Consulate in Brazil, and at the Department of State, Office of Global AIDS Coordinator, where he provided tech support for the Foreign Service Officers in Africa.

Kathrine Larimer has made Dean’s List every semester since she’s been at PSU and received several scholarships. She has held leadership positions within her sorority, Alpha Sigma Alpha, as Homecoming Captain and as Greek Sing Captain. Larimer has also helped raise over $60,000 since 2008 as Student Chairperson for the Out of the Darkness 5K Community Walk for suicide prevention.

Daniel Cartwright is a senior majoring in energy, business, and finance, making Dean’s List for five semesters. Cartwright has served as President of the Theta Chi Fraternity, where he helped earn them the Chapter of Excellence Award and the Living Ritual Award from Penn State; he is also the VP of Communications for the Penn State IFC. Outside of PSU, Cartwright is a member of Helping Across the Community, and has volunteered with Girl Scouts, helped to conserve energy and coordinated recycling events. Cartwright is also volunteers as a FreshSTART Day of Service Team Leader.

Jess Pelliciotta is a senior majoring in Political Science and minoring in Security and Science, Technology and Society. Peclliciotta has made Dean’s List every semester of her college career and earned several scholarships, including the Penn State Leadership Scholarship, the Penn Stae Endowed Scholarship, and the American Association of University Women’s Scholarship. Pelliciotta demonstrates her political savvy as President of Penn State College Democrats, where she has helped to increase both membership and voter turnout, and as Chair of the Assembly in UPUA, where she supported representatives so they could interact more often and directly with the student body.

Curran McCready is a senior majoring in finance, who has made Dean’s List for the past 3 years. He is currently the Donor and Alumni Relations Overall for THON and a Lion Ambassador.

Katy Poole is a member of the Schreyer Honors College. She’s one smart cookie that has made Dean’s List for the last 4 semesters and won the Lockheed Martin Design Excellence Award for the top Senior Design Project in Bioengineering. Katy is also President of the Athletic Training Club and a class rep on the Athletic Training Student Advisory Board. In addition, she is actively involved with THON, a local church, and the Centre County Women’s Resource Center.

Justin Ross is a mechanical engineering major and President of the beloved Marching Blue Band. Ross has completed internships with Premier Rides in Millersville, MD and with Walt Disney, Inc. as a project manager.

Marina Johnson is another smarty pants: she’s a member of the Schreyer Honors College (making Dean’s List every semester), the Golden Key International Honor Society, the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society, the Phi Beta Kappa Academic Honor Society, and the Omicron Delta Kappa Society of Leadership and Success. In spring 2009, Johnson started up a theater company call One Stage Revolution. Johnson also volunteers with the Women’s Help center, the LGBTA Community, and the Council for Commonwealth Student Governments. She has even preformed with the Ivyside Pride Choir and the Rome Festival Choir in France and Rome.

Jared McKnight is a member of the Schreyer Honors College who has made Dean’s List every semester, in addition to being a member of the Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society. McKnight played a big role in the American Institute of Architecture Students, serving as Secretary, President, and even sitting on the National Board of Directors. For his work in the organization, Jared received the National Award for Outstanding President. McKnight is also a Lion Ambassador who has participated in guarding the Lion Shrine and Moxie-THON with the club, where his committee raised over $9,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

So now you have the 411 on the candidates. Happy voting!