Homecoming King, Queen presented at halftime
As the crowd in the stands and the marching band came together to cue the drumroll before the announcement of this year’s Homecoming King and Queen, suspense gradually filled the air.
Suddenly, a moment of stillness in the stadium took place before the roaring cheers and applause once Junior Marketing major Trenton Payne and Junior Animal Science major Amberly Zaragoza were declared and crowned Texas A&M University- Kingsville’s (TAMUK) 2021 Homecoming King and Queen.
“It feels amazing, all the support that everybody gave was truly overwhelming,” Zaragoza said. The Homecoming football game and the halftime announcement of this year’s newest royalty wraps up the last of the homecoming events of the week for the university.
Payne, sponsored by Javelina Powerlifting, decided to run for the opportunity to further represent his college, along with the many other extracurriculars he’s involved in.
“I’m super blessed and I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity to go out, campaign and put myself out there. Not only running for Homecoming King but being able to just talk to students was a fantastic experience,” Payne said.
Representing Texas A&M’s Rodeo Team, Zaragoza was passionate about running in this year’s homecoming court because she had previous experience running in high school and wanted to get out and run again, this time as a full-time college student. On top of being a full-time student, Zaragoza also actively participates in other organizations at TAMUK.
“My advice is to be involved, stay involved and do everything you can in your time here,” Zaragoza said.
In addition to that, the newest King, Payne, continues by telling students that with being involved, they can make more friends and really push their personality over the limits by being given the chance to talk to as many new faces around campus as possible.
Homecoming is one of the most spirited and anticipated weeks of the year at the university. “Enjoy every moment and embrace all the history and traditions TAMUK has to offer,” 2019 Homecoming Queen Ydanissa Gonzalez said. “Homecoming at Javelina Nation is a huge tradition that goes back many years. It was both an accomplishment as well as an honor to be crowned as a homecoming queen.”
Being voted TAMUK’s Homecoming King and Queen by the student body is not just another award. It is a privilege to represent the entire university and the title has and will continue to be treated with respect and value.
“Thank you to everyone who supported us throughout the whole campaign. It was very fun, and we are extremely grateful,” Zaragoza said.
The win was a team effort with the help of the students who went out and voted. “Thank you to everyone who supported us, my friends, family, to everyone who came by our booth, who put us on socials, who helped us with our campaign, even the smallest gestures really did help us out, truly thank you everyone,” Payne said.
