Students interested in becoming EIU’s Homecoming Prince or Princess must meet the following requirements:

Application & Eligibility

• Submit a completed application by 12 p.m. on Friday, September 12, 2025.
• To be eligible, Homecoming Candidates must be sponsored by an RSO, Residence Hall, and/or Greek-lettered Organization to run for Homecoming Court.
• All Homecoming Candidates must adhere to the EIU Student Code of Conduct.
• Homecoming Candidates must not have been on the EIU Homecoming Court in any previous years.
• Homecoming Candidates must have a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher to be eligible. If a candidate is found ineligible, they will be able to appeal the decision or submit the application of a replacement candidate.
  Homecoming Candidates must be undergraduate, full-time students at EIU during the candidate selection, interview, and election processes.
• Homecoming Candidates must be in good standing with the university and the EIU Office of the Dean of Students to be eligible to run for 2024 EIU Homecoming Royalty.
• Each candidate must attend all meetings and photo sessions. NO EXCEPTIONS OR MAKE-UPS.
• Homecoming Prince and Princess Candidates must have no fewer than 30 cumulative credit hours and no more than 60 cumulative credit hours at the time of their candidacy and election; they must be currently enrolled in 12 credit hours at Eastern Illinois University at the time of candidacy and election and must have attended Eastern Illinois University for at least one full semester.
• Members of the Homecoming Steering Committee and those affiliated with University Board are not eligible to run for Homecoming King, Queen, Prince, or Princess.

Video Essay Submission

As part of the selection process, candidates must submit a video essay responding to the following prompts:

1. Introduce yourself – state your name, major, and campus involvement.
2. Explain why you would be a strong representative for EIU’s Homecoming Royalty.
3. Share your favorite part of Homecoming and why it is meaningful to you.
4. Discuss the most influential person at EIU in your journey and how they have shaped your experience.

How to Submit Your Video Essay

1. Record a video response (2-3 minutes).
2. Upload the video to YouTube as a private video.
3. Copy and paste the video link into the designated section of the application.

Key Dates

1. Nomination Deadline: 12 p.m. on Friday, September 12
2. Coronation Walkthrough: 4–5 p.m. on Monday, October 6, Grand Ballroom, MLK Jr. University Union
3. Coronation Ceremony: 7 p.m. on Monday, October 6, Grand Ballroom, MLK Jr. University Union

Candidates selected as EIU Homecoming Prince & Princess will reign over Homecoming Week, representing EIU pride, spirit, and tradition throughout the celebration.

Is your little one ready to shine like a star during EIU's Homecoming? It's time to apply for the Little Prince & Princess contest! Open to kiddos ages 4-8, this fun and exciting competition is the perfect opportunity to let your child show off their Panther pride!

Rules & Regulations

• Contestants must be between 4 and 8 years old by Friday, September 12, 2025, and must be current residents of Coles County.
• Contestants must be the child or sibling of a currently enrolled EIU student or EIU employee.
• A recent headshot photo of the contestant must accompany the completed application. The photo can be any size, up to 8.5" x 11", in color or black and white.
• Nominations, video essays, and headshot photos must be submitted by 4:30 pm, Friday, September 12, 2025.
• Past winners of the EIU Homecoming Little Prince & Princess competition are not eligible to compete.
• This is a fun contest, not a beauty pageant. Contestants will be voted on by members of the EIU Student Body.

Video Submission Guidelines

• To submit a video essay:
  • Create a 2-3 minute video.
  • Upload the video to YouTube as a private video using the following steps:
    • Go to youtube.com and sign in with a Google account.
    • Click the "Create" (camera icon) in the upper right-hand corner and select “Upload video.”
    • Ensure the video is in .MOV or .MP4 format for proper upload.
    • Click "Select Files" and choose your video.
    • Edit the title to “[Your Name] EIU Homecoming [Little Prince/Princess] 2025 Candidate.”
    • Change the visibility setting from "Public" to "Private."  
    • Once uploaded, copy the video URL and paste it into the designated section of the application.

Coronation & Participation Requirements

• The 2025 EIU Homecoming Little Prince & Princess Crowning will take place during the Coronation Event at 7 p.m. on Monday, October 6, in the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union
• Winners are required to participate in both the Coronation and Parade events.
• A Coronation walkthrough will be held from 4–5 p.m. on Monday, October 6.
• Winners will receive participation awards/prizes, presented at the Coronation event.

Judging

• Little Prince & Princess candidates will be voted on by the Eastern Illinois University Student Body.

Queen: Hannah Lawrence, Pre-Nursing Major  
King: Nick Trimble, Psychology Major  
Princess: Rochelle Carter, Sophomore Pre-Nursing Major  
Prince: Sheldon Turner, Sophomore Accounting Major  
Staff Lady: Melissa Gordon, Administrative Associate, Academic Affairs  
Staff Lord: Nicholas Robinson, Director of Accountancy, School of Business  
Co-Little Princess: Gabrielle Mitchell  
Co-Little Princess: Clara Turner  

Queen: Jacqueline Williams, Senior Kinesiology Major  
King: Jerimiah Boyd-Johnson, Senior Political Science Major  
Princess: Jaeda Franks, Sophomore Biological Sciences Major  
Prince: Hunter Kidwell, Sophomore Physical Education Major  
Staff Lady: Amanda Harvey, Department of Public Health  
Staff Lord: Nathan Wehr, Director, Fraternity & Sorority Programs  
Little Princess: Stella Reifsteck  
Little Prince: Beau Harvey 

Queen: Brittany Britton, Senior Sociology Major  
King: Isaiah McClarien, Senior Sports and Business Management Major  
Princess: Diana Argueta, Junior Graphic Design and Spanish Major  
Prince: Chateau Fouchea, Sophomore Criminology Major  
Staff Lady: Lauri DeRuiter-Willems, Associate Professor, Public Health  
Staff Lord: John Willems, Interim Chair, School of Business  
Little Princess: Sofie Reifsteck  
Little Prince: Mason Koehler

Queen: Allison Oates
King: Carl Winton
Princess: Stephanie Beltran
Prince: Will Outzen
Staff Lady: Kristin Brown, Professor, Kinesiology & Sports Studies
Staff Lord: Jon Oliver, Professor, Kinesiology & Sports Studies

Queen: Kelsey Hosea, Senior Communication Studies Major
King: Darien Ghoston, Junior Kinesiology and Sports Studies Major
Princess: Astoria-Griggs Burns, Sophomore Health Administration Major
Prince: Shaun Hughes, Sophomore Business Major
Staff Lady: William Higelmire, Department Chair, Recreation Administration
Staff Lord: Vanesa Landrus, Professor of Foreign Languages
Little Princess: Ellie Shaw
Little Prince: Noah Daugherty

Queen: Timery Jackson, Senior Elementary Education Major
King: Aaron Wiessing, Senior Management Information Systems Major
Princess: Semhal Hailu, Sophomore Biological Sciences Major
Prince: David Sims, Senior Kinesiology and Sports Studies Major