Homecoming Queens

Vanessa Addison

Vanessa Addison was nominated for Homecoming queen by the Chemistry and Biochemistry Ambassadors. She is a biochemistry major and is currently involved with biomedical research on campus. Addison is deeply involved with the community through her work as a peer mentor, a tutor at the SALT center, an emergency medical technician and a volunteer at Sister José Women’s Center.

“As much as Homecoming is about the amazing traditions and the legacy here at the University of Arizona, being nominated is so humbling because it has really given me an avenue to give back to a school that I care so much about,” Addison said.

According to Addison, her two greatest passions are science and service. After graduation, she plans on attending medical school in order to continue her service to the community as either a general surgeon or an OBG/YN.

Kiera Connolly

Kiera Connolly was nominated for Homecoming queen by Delta Sigma Pi, an organization she has been a part of since her freshman year. She is double majoring in marketing and management information systems. Last year, she was named one of the top 50 women of Eller College, and she recently joined Eller’s new mentorship program Rising Stars in Marketing. She also works for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. She’s very passionate about her job there and loves working with high school students to help them choose their future paths. Connolly is grateful not only for her nomination but also for the camaraderie and friendship she has developed with the rest of the Homecoming court.

“The experience [of being nominated] has been like nothing else I could have imagined. The 10 of us get along so well,” Connolly said.

Alexia Esquivel

Alexia Esquivel was nominated for Homecoming queen by the Eller Leadership Board. She is also involved in the Eller Hispanic Honorary, Advanced Zipperman Associates and Arizona Consulting Club. As an active member on campus, Esquivel feels she represents the Wildcat community well.

“I am currently the president of the Eller Leadership Board, and I feel that my board thinks I accurately represent what it means to be a Wildcat,” Esquivel said.

Esquivel loves the UA school spirit. She feels grateful to have found a community with lifelong friends, especially in Eller. Outside of her education, she loves music, boba and collecting vinyl records. In another life she is a theater major, Esquivel said. She will continue to work for Protiviti in consulting after graduation.

Giorgia Menetre

Giorgia Menetre was nominated for Homecoming queen by Arizona Ambassadors. She has been one of the official tour guides for the organization since her sophomore year and is now a member of the leadership team.

“[Arizona Ambassadors] is the club that has helped me grow into the young woman I have always wanted to be … I’m very honored to be nominated by a group of people who have genuinely changed me for the better,” Menetre said.

Menetre is double majoring in dance and journalism with a minor in public relations. She is involved in Dance Collective, a club for dance majors, Elevation, the campus ski club and works as a digital storyteller for the College of Fine Arts. She is a sponsored skier and plans to one day work in social media marketing for an outdoor extreme sports company.

Morgan Whitesell

Morgan Whitesell was nominated for Homecoming queen by the Alpha Epsilon Delta pre-professional health honorary. She is majoring in psychological science, minoring in sports nutrition and is captain of the Cheerleaders and Mascots team. Whitesell is extremely passionate about her club activities and hopes to leave an impactful legacy in all the organizations she has been a part of. 

“[Being nominated for Homecoming queen] is something I would have never expected, walking onto campus my freshman year … It’s an unexpected blessing,” Whitesell said.

After graduation, she wants to take a gap year to spend more time with her family before applying to a physician assistant program.

Homecoming Kings

Brandon Fuentes

Brandon Fuentes was nominated for Homecoming king by Arizona Ambassadors. Although Fuentes was initiated this spring, he believes he made a big impact quickly through being the president of his Cub Member Class. It meant a lot to him to be nominated as he volunteers his time to an organization he loves. 

“Being nominated through ambassadors means the absolute world to me,” Fuentes said.

Fuentes has loved getting to know his fellow kings and queens and even mentioned that they plan on spending time with each other after Homecoming ends. As a physiology and medical science major, Fuentes is excited to further his education with goals of getting his master’s in public health and becoming a physician’s assistant. He eventually hopes to change career paths to improve the healthcare system. Fuentes loves to play volleyball and do puzzles, which he got into as it is a bonding experience within his family.

Elijah Greenfield

Elijah Greenfield was nominated for Homecoming king by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He is in an accelerated master’s program for aerospace engineering at the UA and hopes to work on making planes in the future. Greenfield has been the president of the organization for the past two years, and on the executive board for the past three. During his time in AIAA, the club has seen major growth.

“We’ve more than tripled the number of active members in the club, and doubled our outreach events. I believe my board recognizes all my hard work I put into this,” Greenfield said. 

Greenfield is an out-of-state student from Utah, so coming into the UA he didn’t know anyone. The community at the UA created a friendly atmosphere, underlined by Homecoming, where he was able to feel like a part of a family, according to Greenfield. The UA is a big campus with a small campus vibe.

Outside of aerospace engineering, Greenfield loves to rock climb. He has climbed the French, Swiss and Italian Alps, a great feat for someone his age. 

Adam Hauck

Adam Hauck was nominated for Homecoming king by Links Junior Honorary. He is majoring in industrial engineering and is the president of both the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers and Comedy Corner, an improv club. His biggest passion is putting a smile on people’s faces and having a positive impact on those around him. He’s excited about his nomination and the opportunity to represent Links Junior Honorary and everything it stands for.

“Links really cares about the university, and they want to help the community flourish, especially the Tucson community itself,” Hauck said.

After college, Hauck plans to pursue his engineering career as well as travel the world.

Ben Kissel

Ben Kissel was nominated for Homecoming king by Delta Sigma Pi, a business fraternity on campus. Kissel is studying economics and strives to be a leader in his education. He became involved with DSP as soon as he was initiated, which he felt was a reason his peers nominated him. He has always been driven to be a leader, and running for king holds the same importance. 

“I’d like to thank DSP for nominating me, and it has been really great running with [Kiera Connolley] through the organization,” Kissel said.

Kissel was born and raised as a Wildcat. Throughout the years, he followed UA sports and joined his brother at the UA in 2019. Freshman year was a blast with his senior brother as he got to see what it was like to be a Wildcat, according to Kissel. Some fun facts about Kissel are that he loves to golf, ski and juggle. After graduating, Kissel hopes to attend law school.

Quentin Stepp

Quentin Stepp was nominated for Homecoming king by Eller College Dean’s Council and is a part of Delta Sigma Pi. Stepp believes he was nominated for his determination and passion within his organizations. 

“I’m pretty involved and give it all I got,” Stepp said.

Stepp is studying economics at the Eller College of Management. Eller acts on giving back to the university as much as it can, and this follows his own views within the college, according to Stepp. He loves the UA for its community and supportive culture.

“Big state schools are really similar, but [UA] is a huge community and I feel so so welcome here,” Stepp said.

Stepp continues to feel supported, especially within the whole king’s process. He described getting out of his “Eller bubble” and seeing others’ passions for their own organizations. Many of the nominees have expressed the same feeling of comradery that comes from UA Homecoming. Stepp loves to camp and hike, mentioning it was one of the reasons he chose the UA. 

  Follow the Daily Wildcat on Twitter