Twelve seniors have been selected for the 2021 homecoming court, with three to be crowned royalty during halftime of the homecoming football game on Saturday, Oct. 23.
Seniors had the chance to apply for the court with a resume and application. From there, representatives from the Class Officer Collective and the Office of Student Activities and Leadership interviewed students to select for the court.
Students can vote for royalty on CampusGroups through noon Friday, Oct. 22.
Get to know this year’s court below.
Alex Berrum-Navarrete
Major: Psychology, MA in bioethics and medical humanities
Minor: Biology
Hometown: Hammond, Indiana
Hobbies: Running, writing, journaling, dancing, theatre, jamming to Taylor Swift or listening to fan theories about her easter eggs
“What made me love CWRU is the people. I have met some of the most inspiring, supportive, ambitious, and innovative individuals throughout my time at CWRU. Spartans are trailblazers. My peers and mentors have motivated me to be a change-maker and to be a better leader. I have learned something new about being a better person and professional every day from my peers. And for that, I am immensely thankful.”
Anna Giubileo
Major: Psychology, MA in social work
Hometown: Morgan Hill, California
Hobbies: Crocheting, reading, crafting, exploring Cleveland and the metroparks
“It was the people who caused me to fall in love with CWRU. The ones who push me to try new things, who show me different ways to look at a situation, and the ones who are there for me when I have a hard day. CWRU would not be the place I know and
love if it were not for its students, and they are the reason I love being a Spartan.”
Camille Witt
Major: Theatre and sociology
Hometown: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Hobbies: Improv and stand-up comedy, running, and tearing up the nearest dance floor
“What made me fall for CWRU was the incredibly diverse and passionate student body. Not just diverse demographically, but with their interests—both academic and extracurricular. Students here aren’t just one thing: they’re artists and engineers and writers and scientists and teammates and friends and neighbors. This multi-dimensionality creates a sense of community across our campus that is both uplifting and inspiring. No matter where people come from, they can find common ground.”
D’Juan Taylor
Major: Biomedical engineering
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Hobbies: Basketball, soccer, chess, playing the clarinet, annoying Danielle
“I fell in love with CWRU before I even came to my first class. As a prospective student, I got to meet so many people just off of a two day visit, and when I got to meet a community that was not only very nice to me, but also committed to achieving so much for themselves, I knew I found my home. I visited a couple of times before I eventually committed to CWRU, and every time I came back, I felt more and more a part of the school, and that has translated to all my four years that I have attended this college. CWRU has allowed me to grow so much as a person, whether it be academically through the biomedical engineering program, socially through all of the lifetime friendships and connections that I have made, and professionally when it has come to enhancing my communication skills through all of the student organizations that I have been involved. Whether it be the challenge that drives me every day, to the people that make me feel the most welcome I have ever been, to the community that I can call home, there are so many reasons why I love my college, Case Western Reserve University.”
Danielle Nwogu
Major: Medical anthropology and biology
Hometown: Boyds, Maryland
Hobbies: Reading, playing minesweeper, playing ukulele
“My first time at CWRU was as a prospie (or prospective student). I was living with some of the most amazing people who took me around campus and introduced me to other premeds. Before that, I genuinely had never felt more welcomed at a university. That was when I first started falling in love with CWRU, and when I knew this is where I wanted to go for college. I do not regret coming to CWRU. The people here are so amazing and accepting, I am beyond grateful to call this place home.”
Hugh Smith
Major: Materials science and engineering
Minor: Applied data science, geological sciences, history
Hometown: Albany, New York
Hobbies: Running, watching sports, keeping up with current events/politics
“CWRU seemed like the best school for me because of the high degree of collaboration between students and academic flexibility. I wanted the opportunity to explore my interests, define my own path, and receive help from those around me to accomplish it while supporting them on their journeys.”
Joy Mason
Major: Business management
Hometown: Mentor, Ohio
Hobbies: Roller skating, singing, listening to music
“Before I came to CWRU, I fell in love with its academic opportunities and its location among some of the best hospitals in the world. After coming to campus, I fell in love all over. This time with CWRU’s community, opportunities to better myself, residence life, and the people!”
Kasey Pukys
Major: Economics, international studies
Hometown: Canton, Ohio
Hobbies: Playing tennis, listening to new music, learning Russian, exploring Cleveland with close friends, and singing with Dhamakapella, the South Asian acapella group on campus
“I fell for CWRU because of the way this university redefined me. CWRU opens doors for its students in several ways, and the academic, extracurricular, and career-related experiences I have been presented with as a CWRU student unlocked interests I never even knew I had! I love CWRU because it helped me grow into the person I am today.”
Mark Madler
Major: Biomedical engineering
Minor: Psychology
Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Hobbies: Listening to music, driving, exploring new coffee shops
“I fell for CWRU because of the community and the campus! I love walking to class and being able to wave to my friends that I recognize. I also really appreciate the supportive and collaborative environment that the students provide.”
Olivia Laniak
Major: Chemical biology, music
Hometown: Rochester, New York
Hobbies: Reading, creative writing, singing, playing piano and guitar
“Why I fell for CWRU: My parents like to say that when I was a baby, I could be crying and screaming for hours, but the second they turned on the music, I would stop instantly. When I got old enough to sing along, my tears instantly melted away, and I was happily singing along no matter how upset I had been. Music has always been a huge part of my life, and it has shaped my relationship with both my family and the world. But I also grew up with a passion for chemistry and the medical field. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love science or didn’t want to be a doctor, and as I got older and realized that I wanted to pursue medicine as a career, everyone told me I’d have to give up music. When I was going through my college search, CWRU was the only school where I could get a world-class science education and a conservatory music education. This was the place where no one said I had to sacrifice one dream for another. Now I’m about to graduate as a chemical biology and music double-major from a school that has supported my dreams since even before day one, and I couldn’t be happier.”
Wintana Eyob
Major: Biology, cognitive science, pre-med
Hobbies: Outdoors, playing basketball
“My favorite memory here at CWRU so far is being able to host our first in-person event this year (UDC’s welcome back event) and seeing everyone back in person again!!”
Queen Hassan
Major: Materials science and engineering
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Hobbies: Skateboarding, soccer, painting
“Frankly, I didn’t see CWRU until after I accepted my offer. It was just somewhere I was going to go and get a degree from and then yeet. But when I came to my first on campus tour and as I started my orientation program, I knew CWRU was the place for me. The community I found myself in was warm and welcoming and I knew it was exactly where I was meant to be!”