Happy Homecoming, Penn State!

On Sunday, Penn State Homecoming announced the nominees of the 2022 gender-neutral homecoming court. Homecoming’s festivities will begin on Sunday, October 16, and culminate with the Nittany Lions’ White Out football game against Minnesota on October 22.

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

Student Court

Anton Aluquin

Major: immunology and infectious disease
Involvement: Schreyer Scholar, Presidential Leadership Academy, Singing Lions, field organizer lead for Central PA United, field organizing internship Eugene De Pasquale

Casey Sennett

Major: Master’s in anthropology, bachelor’s in anthropology, history, Jewish studies, Middle Eastern studies, minors in classics and ancient Mediterranean studies, and global and international studies, plus certificates in holocaust and genocide studies and museum studies
Involvement: Schreyer Scholar, Student MC for A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence, Penn State Learning Speaking Center mentor, Scholar Ambassador, Paterno Fellows Student Advisory Board, College of Liberal Arts student ambassador, Lion Ambassadors, SHOTIME mentor

Jacob Snyder

Major: biology with minors in art and marine science
Involvement: Schreyer Scholar, NOAA Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholar, Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (oSTEM) secretary, Gender and Sexual Diversity in Schreyer founder, president, and advisor, University Park Student Fee Board at-large representative, Millennium Scholars Program cohort council representative, Biological Sciences Society vice president, Marine Science Society secretary and social media manager

Jaelyn Monroe

Major: political science
Involvement: Multicultural Undergraduate Law Association president, Black Caucus second vice president and programming chair, Writers Organized Represents Diverse Stories public relations chair, Dark Storm Step Team fundraising chair

Janiyah Davis

Major: MPP in public policy, bachelor’s in psychology and criminology, and minors in anthropology and child maltreatment and advocacy studies (enhanced)
Involvement: Schreyer Scholar, Paterno Fellow, Board of Trustees student trustee, College of Liberal Arts student peer advisor, World In Conversation operations intern, Students Teaching Students, Multicultural Association of Schreyer Scholars director of university relations, Scholar Ambassadors director of special events, Student Restorative Justice Initiative president, Justice Association treasurer, Student Minority Advisory and Recruitment Team (SMART) tour guide and philanthropy chair, Schreyer for Women community engagement chair, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority parliamentarian and publicity committee co-chair, Schreyer dean’s search committee, Black Caucus, Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence reviewer for undergraduate teaching awards, Paterno Fellows Program Student Advisory Board, Liberal Arts Ambassador

Nicole Pinto

Major: criminology
Involvement: Lambda Theta Alpha Latin sorority, Multicultural Greek Council president, Mexican American Student Association vice president, Multicultural Undergraduate Law Association community service and fundraising chair, World in Conversation facilitator

Robert Esgro

Major: industrial engineering with a minor in Chinese
Involvement: Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps, men’s club lacrosse president

Sarabeth Bowmaster

Major: women’s, gender, & sexuality studies and philosophy with social sciences option and a certificate in labor & human resources
Involvement: Schreyer Scholar, Paterno Fellow, League of Women Voters at PSU founder & former president, Students Teaching Students Student instructor & executive board, Lion Ambassadors, State of State, PSU Votes, Office of Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response student advisory, Student Affairs hiring taskforce, Nevins Fellow, Schreyer/CSGD liaison, change-of-campus student mentor

Star Lawson

Major: public relations with minors and certifications in digital media trends and analytics, Muck Rack, and Google Analytics
Involvement: Paul Robeson Cultural Center (PRCC) marketing & communications team, African Student Association (ASA) public relations chair and executive board member, Student Orientation and Transitions Program (SOTP) social media intern and New Student Orientation leader, BLUEprint Peer Mentoring program, Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority

Sydney Gibbard

Major: biomedical engineering with a concentration in biochemistry and molecular biology
Involvement: Penn State Student Government and Faculty Senate Student Body president, Speaker of the Assembly, and College of Engineering Representative, Schreyer Scholar, Penn State Hershey Medical School’s Primary Care Scholars Program, THON, State of State marketing director, club swim, SHOTIME Orientation mentor, Lion Ambassadors, Pi Beta Phi Sorority, Homecoming Committee

Graduate Court

Alexander Vera

Education: Fifth-year Ph.D. candidate studying materials science and engineering, bachelor’s in applied physics
Involvement: EMS Diversity Council, Black Graduate Student Organization executive board, AllWe Implementation Committee Mental Health Initiative leader, Graduate School Alumni Society Board OGEEP student representative

Anna Piotti

Education: Fourth-year Ph.D. candidate studying German linguistics & language science, bachelor’s in German with a minor in teaching
Involvement: College of Liberal Arts academic integrity committee, Goethe-Zertifikat examiner, and German Graduate Student Association president and secretary

Brandon McDonald

Education: Second-year graduate student with an emphasis in enrollment management and student affairs, graduate certificate in institutional research, bachelor’s in child development with a minor in mathematics

Involvement: Office of Undergraduate Admissions interim tour guide coordinator, Office of Undergraduate Admissions campus visits and events, graduate assistant and advisor to the Penn State Lion Scouts, Schreyer Admissions student services assistant, American College Personnel Association ambassador, Student Affairs Student Organization president

Savanah Jackson

Education: Second-year graduate student in international affairs in race and development, bachelor’s in political science, and a minor in philosophy
Involvement: Penn State Career Services graduate assistant and outreach intern, School of International Affairs Black Student Association president, Graduate and Professionals Student Association faculty senator of the Graduate School

University Court

Dr. Jennifer Eury, Ph.D.

Position: Clinical assistant professor of management and organization in the Smeal College of Business, Ph.D. Teaching Camp coordinator, Undergraduate Management major program coordinator
Involvement: MGMT Major Ambassador Program co-organizer, M&O Teaching Forums co-founder and co-organizer, non-tenure review committee, management major (organizational leadership concentration) co-director, management major committee, Sapphire Leadership Academic Program applications reader, Revamping Major Exploration within Smeal working group, Schreyer ethics committee, Schreyer thesis supervisor, Faculty Mentoring Program: Management major, Schreyer supervisor

Mrs. Katie Motycki

Position: Student Orientation and Transition Programs director, College Advising Meeting Learning Outcomes group chair, VisualZen Orientation (VZO) Primaries
Involvement: Coalition to Address Relationship and Sexual Violence (CARSV), Health Insurance Marketing subcommittee, LionPATH (PeopleSoft) Cross-Functions Communication committee, LionPATH Cross-Functions committee, Pre-Arrival Scheduling committee, Undergraduate Admissions College Representatives member, undergraduate education analysis group, Visual Zen Orientation Steering committee

Dr. Michquelena (Micki) Ferguson, Ph.D.

Position: Associate Director of Athletics bands, associate teaching professor
Involvement: Penn State School of Student Wellness Task Force committee, Penn State School of Music Ensemble committee, Penn State School of Music Band Area committee, Penn State Men’s and Women’s basketball “Synergy” team member

Dr. Scott Collins

Position: Clinical associate professor of accounting, One-Year Master of Accounting program director, Admissions Committee, Student Advisory Committee, One-Year Master of Accounting analytics program director and admissions committee, Tarriff Center for Business Ethics and Social Responsibility faculty advisor and affiliated faculty member, clinical associate professor of accounting
Involvement: Smeal College of Business Commencement Ceremony Faculty Escort for Accounting Department student marshal, Schreyer thesis advisor, BA 517 end-of-semester projects faculty judge, women’s club water polo faculty advisor, One-Year Master of Accounting (MAcc) Student Advisory Committee faculty advisor, Department of Accounting Joint B.S./MAcc Degree Proposal Committee, Department of Accounting Online Master of Accounting Oversight Committee, Department of Accounting MAcc Curriculum Revision Committee, Department of Accounting Clinical Faculty Search Committee, Department of Accounting Online Graduate Certificate in Accounting (ACF) Committee, Smeal College of Business Joint Marketing Committee, Smeal College of Business Professional Graduate Education Committee, Penn State Faculty Education Sub-Committee

Alumni Court

Sophie Pelillo

Education: Graduated in 2022 with a bachelor’s in psychology
Current Role: Assistant Director of Student Philanthropy in Penn State’s Office of Annual Giving

Kelly Karpa

Education: Graduated in 2000 with a Ph.D. in pharmacology
Current Role: Associate Dean of Institutional Effectiveness and Innovation, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University

Beau Bradley

Education: Graduated in 2014 with a bachelor’s in communication sciences and disorders and in 2019
with an M.P.S. in homeland security, public health preparedness option
Current Role: Emergency Management Specialist (Federal Emergency Management Agency),
small business owner, and podcast host of Beau My God, LLC

Amber Smith

Education: graduated in 2007 with a bachelor’s in communications
Current Role: Student Services Specialist at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College

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In 2018, Homecoming removed the gendered titles, “Homecoming Queen and King,” and took away the 1:1 ratio of male-to-female representation within the court. It said it made this change to embrace diversity and gender inclusivity within Penn State’s community.