2022 Homecoming Royal and Royalty Court
Congrats, Jesse Goodyear - the 2022 Homecoming Royal!
Meet your 2022 Homecoming Royalty Court! These individuals are learners who represent the Grand Valley community and emulate what it means to be a Laker.
Homecoming Royalty Court Candidates are listed alphabetically by last name
Name: Kevin Estrella
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Class Standing: Third-Year
Major: Accounting
Involvements: First-year Resident Assistant; Latino Student Union, President; Laker Familia, Member; and Ultimate Frisbee Club Team, Member
What does it mean to be a member on the Homecoming Royalty Court? It’s really an honor for me to be representing Grand Valley as one of the candidates for homecoming royalty court. It just shows that if you get involved and engaged in your community people will start to see the hard work you do, and along the way, inspiring the future Lakers.
Name: Jesse Goodyear
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Class Standing: Fifth-Year +
Majors: Accounting and Finance
Minor: Sustainable Urban Regional Planning
Certificate: Sustainable Urban Regional Planning
Involvements: Swim & Dive Team, Captain; Campus Tour Guide; Admissions Student Assistant; Orientation Leader; Swim Instructor, and GV Athletics SEA of Change, Ambassador
What does it mean to be a member on the Homecoming Royalty Court? Being an international student from Australia, GVSU immediately stood out as a university promoting great culture and support for students as they mature into their professional and personal lives. The passion of faculty and students to live the ‘Laker’ lifestyle has afforded me so many opportunities and with that I am honored to be apart of the 2022 Homecoming Royalty Court and to continue sharing the passion I have received at GVSU with others!
Name: Sierra Gulli
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Class Standing: Third-Year
Major: Biomedical Sciences
Involvements: Mu Epsilon Delta, President; Arab Culture Club, President; Honors College Student Council, Chair of Overnight Orientation; Pre-PA Club, Member; Red Cross Club, Member; and Helen Devos Children's Hospital, Volunteer
What does it mean to be a member on the Homecoming Royalty Court? Being apart of the Homecoming Royalty Court at GVSU is a huge honor in representing the student body as a whole. I am so excited to be apart of all of the events throughout Homecoming week activities while being able to build relationships with the rest of the court and meeting new students. The Grand Valley campus as a whole has truly shaped who I am and who I will be in my future academic, professional, and social life. I strive to be a Laker now and a Laker for a Lifetime!
Name: Faith Kidd
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Class Standing: Third-Year
Major: Political Science
Minor: International Business
Involvements: Student Senate, President; Frederik Meijer Honors College, Mentor and Teaching Assistant; Cook Leadership Academy, Named Fellow; and MDRD, Waitress
What does it mean to be a member on the Homecoming Royalty Court? To me, being a member of the Homecoming Royalty Court means that I am a student who works to help others. Members of the Homecoming Royalty Court are students who are involved, proactive, and strong student representatives within the GVSU community. It is an honor to be recognized by other students as a person of this character.
Name: Steven Lawrence
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Class Standing: Fourth-Year
Major: Multimedia Journalism
Minor: Photography
Involvements: Campus Activities Board, President; 2020 Info Desk, Student Worker
What does it mean to be a member on the Homecoming Royalty Court? It gives me a chance to express my appreciation for Grand Valley, and show how much it has helped me grow as a person. It also allows me to connect to other students on campus, and try something new!
Name: Mekelle Pace
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Class Standing: Fourth-Year
Major: Biomedical Sciences
Involvements: Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, Member; Royal Dancers Majorette, Co-Captain; Residential Assistant, and Better Made By Jesus, Business Owner
What does it mean to be a member on the Homecoming Royalty Court? Being a member of Homecoming Royalty Court means that I have succeeded in being an optimistic person to people within the GVSU community. It not only illustrates how dedicated I am to being impactful to the different groups that I'm in but also how hardworking I've been in my studies for the past 4 years. I'm honored to be nominated for Homecoming Royalty Court!
Name: Evan Potter
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Class Standing: Fourth-Year
Majors: Public and Nonprofit Administration/Health Administration
Certificates: Medical & Health Humanities, Business Fundamentals, and Leadership
Involvements: Peter C. Cook Leadership Academy, Lead Fellow; College of Education and Community Innovation, Peer Mentor; University Counseling Center, Certified Mental Health Ambassador; Vice President Student Advisory Board, Member; Healthcare Professionals Graduate Student Alliance, Member; Ottawa County Parks and Recreation, Volunteer; and Office of the President, Student Assistant Manager
What does it mean to be a member on the Homecoming Royalty Court? Being a member of the Homecoming Royalty Court provides me with a great opportunity to engage further with the campus community. I’m always looking for ways to better myself and Grand Valley too. Throughout my time here, I’ve made so many genuine and valued connections with the faculty, staff, and students. I’ll always promote equity and inclusion whenever possible while maintaining a servant-leader mentality. Again, being the voice of many on the Homecoming Royalty Court while empowering the mission, vision, and values of GVSU will allow me to reach the goal of representing the entire campus community.
Name: Nieya Thompson
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Class Standing: Fourth-Year
Major: Exercise Science
Minor: Psychology
Involvements: Black Excellence Orientation, Peer Mentor; Voice of GVSU, Member; Black Student Union, Member; Model Entertainment, Member; and Office of Multicultural Affairs, Student Worker
What does it mean to be a member on the Homecoming Royalty Court? It means that we are a resilient leader in the community. It’s an honor to be seen by our peers as someone they can look up too. It shows that with all the obstacles and challenges we faced here at Grand Valley, we overcame. It shows that our hard work and dedication to the GVSU community has been seen and recognized.