Bradley will host its annual Homecoming Court pageant Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. in Student Center Ballroom. Eleven women and four men applied to be on the 2014 Homecoming Court. To apply, students were required to submit a résumé and reply to five short-answer questions. Participants were chosen based on involvement inside and outside the classroom, level of school spirit and overall quality of responses to the questions.
Brian Deal
Senior, psychology
Deal, a Naperville, Illinois native, said he would make a good King because he sincerely believes he is someone that Bradley students can not only look up to, but relate to as well. He adds that, in addition, “King B. Deal” has a pretty sweet ring to it.
Following college and graduate school, Deal said he hopes to become a mental health counselor.
Deal said he is a firm believer that “Crazy, Stupid, Love” is a cinematic masterpiece, but said he does not plan on viewing spiders in the same light, as he is terrified of them. He said he can say the alphabet backwards as fast as he can do it forwards.
Danish Hasan
Senior, nursing
Hasan said he would make a good King because he is not only outgoing but approachable. Apparently this rang through to his celebrity crush as he managed to steal a kiss from Selena Gomez. He said it’s “no big deal or anything…it’s pretty casual.”
After his time here on the Hilltop, Hasan aspires to be a pediatrics nurse at the Ann & Robert H. Luric Children’s Hospital of Chicago or work in the Emergency Department. However, he hasn’t decided if he wants to do that, or be adopted by Jay-Z and Beyoncé.
Brandon Johnson
Junior, public relations
Johnson, hailing from Montgomery, Illinois, said his immersion and involvement on campus has provided him the opportunity to be exposed to the many things Bradley has to offer. As a result, he said he has formed a connection with the campus and the people.
Johnson’s favorite aspect of Bradley is the emphasis on individualized learning because students can flourish inside and outside of the classroom. He said students have the unique opportunity to take their favorite components about themselves and turn it into a skill, something to further their post-college life. He said his least favorite aspect of Bradley is that students don’t invest in enough of the resources provided to them. Johnson said college is a unique time in our lives, and it is frustrating to know individuals won’t seek out the wonderful opportunities available to help receive all the university has to offer.
Joseph Waytula
Senior, special education
Waytula, a native of Glendale Heights, Illinois, said he is very excited and humbled to serve on the Court alongside so many outstanding peers, most of whom he is already good friends with.
He said he is confident he would make a great King because he strives to emulate the Bradley spirit throughout his daily life and in the many student organizations that he is involved with on campus.
Waytula thinks Homecoming King is the perfect opportunity to help him spread some school spirit and get students involved in the many exciting events planned for this year.
The royalty-hopeful sets his sights high, which is evident in that he climbed his first 12,000 ft. mountain this summer in Snowbird, Utah.
Mayra Ocampo
Junior, international business
Hailing from Wheeling, Illinois, Ocampo said she would love the honor of Queen.
As an active member of campus, she said she could help portray an accurate image of Bradley because she has more than just a passion for the university and its students.
Ocampo said her involvement in groups like Club Volleyball, H.E.A.T., Bradley Fund, Pi Beta Phi and STARs has taught her the value of being a Bradley student.
After graduation, Ocampo intends to join the Peace Corps with the hope of being placed in China. With her ability to speak fluent Spanish, Italian and English, Ocampo said she is confident in her future endeavors.
Samantha Pallini
Senior, public relations and Spanish
Pallini said Bradley has two downfalls: not knowing what an authentic cheese curd tastes like and a lack of understanding of the word “bubbler.”
Born and raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Pallini said she found her home at Bradley because the “brave life” was not one she had to conform to but rather one she was already encouraged to live.
She said her values and her work ethic are owed entirely to the opportunity she’s been given to participate in activities ranging from the Scout to the National Society of Leadership and Success to STARs to a sorority to studying abroad as well as the constant support of her family, educators, friends and mentors. She plans to attend law school next fall.
Lindsey Petersen
Senior, management and leadership
Petersen said she feels she would make a good Queen because she is involved in many different activities, ranging from her position as a Resident Advisor to being a peer educator for H.E.A.T.
Something the Prospect Heights, Illinois citizen said she is very passionate about is making sure everyone finds a place to belong. She said she thinks her friends can vouch for the fact that she tends to be a social butterfly, introducing people to one another with the hope that everyone will get along.
After college, Petersen said she plans to find apposition within the human resources field as a generalist, working her way toward an eventual managerial position.
Uniquely enough, Petersen not only has a twin sister, but also has two older brothers who are also twins.
Elizabeth Steinhaus
Senior, marketing
By getting involved in a variety of organizations on campus, Windlake, Wisconsinite Steinhaus said she has proven that she is always willing to put the needs of Bradley and the student body before her own.
Steinhaus said the true mindset of a Queen is to care about making an impact on campus.
After graduation, Steinhaus said she had a job offer, which has made her senior year much less stressful.
A fun fact is that she shares a birthday with her father and has had 17 teeth pulled.
