It’s officially homecoming season, which means it’s time for years of traditions to take place on college campuses all over the U.S. One tradition of my university is the crowning of a new Mister and Miss on campus.

On October 4, 2021 my "Home by the Sea" formally introduced our 64th Miss Hampton University and Mister Pirate, Zaariah Monet Brandon and Brenan Mickell Holston. Brandon is a graduating senior marketing major from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Holston is a graduating senior international studies major from Conyers, Georgia. They were crowned during our annual homecoming coronation ceremony.

Zaariah Brandon and Brenan Holston

Zaariah Brandon’s platform is “Dance No Matter What”, which encourages children and teens to reduce stress and build confidence and self-esteem through dance. Brennan Holston’s platform, “ICE”, promotes inclusivity and interconnectivity across disciplines to create a more unified student body. The coronation event was hosted by Mr. Jay Lang, the CEO and President of Smooth 88.1 WHOV, and throughout the night various student organizations and honor societies presented their Mister and Misses.

The event ended with the presentation of Hampton University’s Royal Court, who will be continuing the legacy of those before them for the new school year. It’s already looking like it’s going to be a great year of student leadership on our campus. Zuri Williams, the student representative to the Board of Trustees, gave a salute to the new Miss Hampton, wishing her well in her new position of leadership along with Dr. Barbara Inman, Vice President of Administrative Services and Dr. Joan Wickham, the Assistant Director of Alumni Affairs. Kimberlee-Mykel Thompson, the 68th SGA President, wrote a letter of advice and encouragement to Zaariah stating, “Make sure that the student body sees themselves represented through you.”

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Lydia Makondo is a Senior Strategic Communications Major Liberal Studies Minor attending Hampton University. She loves storytelling and sharing the stories of others through various platforms. She has a brand called The HBCU Experience where she shares the culture, history, and legacy of HBCUs on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. As a graduate she plans to continue her studies in business and communications and will begin working in those fields while pursuing her PhD in education. Check out these and her other initiatives on Linkedin and Instagram.

Lmakondo21

Writing since October 2021 · 4 stories contributed