Fairmont State Announces 2021 Homecoming Court

For Ja’Lon Staples, the honor of being selected by his peers to represent them as Fairmont State University’s 2019 Homecoming King is a memory he won’t soon forget.  

“I was honored to be a part of that experience. I am honored and grateful that my peers and fellow classmates voted for me and thought that much of me,” said Staples, now a senior.  

This weekend, Staples, who ran for royalty on behalf of the University’s Black Student Union, will once again be present at the Homecoming festivities and is looking forward to celebrating and sharing his Fairmont State pride with his classmates. 

 “It is such an honor being able to relive my experience of Homecoming. Being able to do it all over again senior year is such a blessing. We were all planning to have Homecoming in 2020 but, due to the pandemic, a lot of events and student activities were canceled. I personally think it made us all a little more grateful for the opportunities we all have,” Staples added.  

Staples and 2019 Homecoming Queen, Trang Ta, will crown the new royalty at Saturday’s Homecoming football game against Alderson Broaddus during halftime.  

“I think that people are very excited to have some classic traditions and something familiar return after such a challenging year and a half,” said Assistant Director of Student Life, Evan Fossen. “It’s always great to see the student leaders get excited to represent their university and have a chance to be recognized for all their hard work.”   

A total of eight students are in the running for the titles of 2021 Homecoming King and Queen. Voting is currently live and accessible to students through their campus email through Friday, October 8. 

“This is an extraordinary group of young men and women,” said Fairmont State University President, Mirta M. Martin. “Though they come from all walks of student life, they share prized Falcon traits like optimism and a belief in working hard and pursuing one’s dreams. This Homecoming Court represents an amazing student body, and that excites me for the future of Fairmont State and our communities.” 

Meet the 2021 Homecoming Court:  

Grant Elliot  

Grant is a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon, the Math Club and an Alpha Sigma Tau Sweetheart. He is a senior from Mannington, WV majoring in Math Education. Some of his hobbies include coaching football at North Marion, telling jokes and hanging out with his friends. 

 

Rick Ryan  

Rick is the president of the Baptist Campus Ministries and is from Masontown, PA. He is a senior majoring in National Security and Criminal Justice. Some of his hobbies are hiking, watching football and Netflix. 

 

Katlyn Cunningham  

Katlyn is a member of Delta Zeta and secretary for All Greek Council. She is a senior from Barrackville, WV majoring in Social Studies Education and Sociology. Her hobbies include spending time with her friends and dog and finding new places to explore. 

 

Grace Farley 

Grace is a member of Alpha Sigma Tau and is from Morgantown, WV. She is a senior majoring in Elementary Education with a specialization in special education. Some of her hobbies are reading and photography. 

 

Erin Hohl

Erin is a member of Masquers and Chi Alpha and is also a Resident Assistant on campus. She is a senior from Elkins, WV majoring in Communications. Some of her hobbies include photography, baking and reading her bible. 

 

Erica Lawrence  

Erica is a member of Zeta Phi Beta and the Black Student Union. She is a senior from Craigsville, WV and is majoring in Elementary Education with a specialization in special education. Her hobbies are cooking, playing basketball, swimming and helping the community with service projects. 

  

Emily Parsons 

Emily is a member of Delta Xi Omicron, Fairmont State Collegiate 4-H club, and a Phi Sigma Phi sweetheart. She is a senior from Point Pleasant, WV and is majoring in Elementary Education. Some of her hobbies are spending time with friends, cooking and student teaching through Fairmont State. 

 

 Sharon Carpenter 

Sharon is a member of the Student Government and Phi Alpha Theta. She is a senior from Uniontown, PA and majoring in History. Her hobbies include cooking, watching movies and giving back to her community. 

 

For more information about this year’s Homecoming celebration, visit www.fairmontstate.edu/homecoming. 

Homecoming 2021Homecoming CourtKing and Queen Candidates