From beauty pageants to sport shooting, this year’s Homecoming king and queen candidates have a variety of interests.

One thing they have in common, though, is gratitude for the time they’ve spent at SIU.

Brett Bocian, a senior from Huntley studying biological sciences, said he enjoys offroading, sport shooting and running a website called EvoInfo.com with his friends.

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“I want to run for Homecoming king to promote the love and unity that is so plentiful at SIU and the surrounding areas,” he said.

Emma Dale, a senior from Walnut studying radiologic sciences, said the university has provided her with the most enjoyable and beneficial college experience she could ever ask for. Dale said she wants to represent the university to honor the experiences, successes and memories SIU provided her and other Salukis.

“Throughout my time here, I have grown through the leadership roles I’ve held, the academic challenges I’ve conquered and the friendships I’ve made,” she said. “I know that without SIU I would not be the young woman I am today, and that is why I would like to be SIU’s Homecoming queen.”

Corbin Doss, a senior from Springfield studying civil engineering, is also competing for a Homecoming crown. Corbin is the vice president of the undergraduate student government and a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.

Heidi Myszka, a senior from Bloomington studying dental hygiene, said she enjoys reading, running, and watching movies whenever she’s not thinking about, working with or talking about teeth.

“I feel that I have been an exemplary student here at SIU, and think I would be a great representative as (Homecoming) queen,” she said. “I am proud of my school and proud of the woman it has helped me become.”

Myszka said another reason she ran for queen was because she thought it would be a fun “last hurrah” for her senior year of college.

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Nathan Miranda, a senior from Olive Branch, Miss., studying criminology and criminal justice as well as political science, said he is running for the crown to break a consistent mold that many Homecoming kings have held.

“I feel as though the Homecoming court this year is widely diverse, as is our great university, so it is my humble pleasure to merely be on the Homecoming court,” Miranda said. “My ultimate goal is not for me to gain the glory, but that God may receive all the glory.”

Miranda said some of his hobbies include playing drums in a praise band and entertaining his friends and family.

Chelsea Reardon, a senior from Murphysboro studying speech communication and former Miss Illinois Collegiate America, said she believes the Homecoming queen should represent the student body as a genuine, approachable, hard working, dedicated and fun-loving individual.

“I am a lifelong SIU fan, and I’ve represented all the universities throughout the state,” she said. “I know I have what it takes to be a great representative to a place I have always called home.”

Reardon said coaching girls for and competing in pageants, working out, delivering meals to homebound senior citizens through Meals on Wheels, writing and traveling in her spare time.

Brendon Tarvin, a junior from Jerseyville studying accounting, has been a New Student Orientation leader for two years and enjoys running, boxing, dodgeball and competitive racing.

“I feel that my passion for SIU would make me a great candidate for Homecoming king,” Tarvin said. “However, my main reason for running is to show students that hardwork and dedication can pay off in big ways. I hope to encourage more students to become involved.”

Whitney Clark, a senior from Fort Worth, Texas, studying radio-television said she believes she is a product of how the university can develop students and expose all of their potential.

“The young woman I was when I came to SIUC is far from the woman I am today because I’ve found a confidence in myself that I never had before and I have become a better leader,” she said. “I have learned how to build valuable personal and professional relationships, and I have become an all-around better person due to the many opportunities SIUC has offered me.”

Clark said she enjoys singing, songwriting, modeling, dancing and eating good food in her spare time.

Emma Will, a senior from Marion studying English, said she shares that passion for SIU, and the university’s warmth and inviting community is something she has grown to love.

“My experience at SIU has transformed me into the person I am today, and it would be such an honor to represent this campus as the 2012 Homecoming queen,” she said.

Will is a member of Aplha Gamma Delta sorority and said she enjoys attending and supporting different campus events, visiting family and exploring different southern Illinois areas in her free time.

Steven Ebers is also a part of the Homecoming court but could not be reached for an interview by press time.