Mitchell and Quarrick named WVU Homecoming Royalty, Alumni awards presented

Voted on by their peers, Olivia Quarrick and Romeo Mitchell Jr. were named the 2023 WVU Homecoming Royalty during the halftime ceremony Saturday (Oct. 21) at the football game against Oklahoma State University. (WVU Photo/David Malecki)

A celebration of past moments and the creation of new Homecoming memories culminated at West Virginia University today (Oct. 21) with the crowning of Romeo Mitchell Jr. and Olivia Quarrick as the 2023 Homecoming Royalty.

Story by Tami Allen, University Relations News
Photos by WVU Today

Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

The announcement was made during the halftime ceremony at Saturday’s Homecoming football game against Oklahoma State University.

Selected by their peers during two days of voting, Mitchell Jr. and Quarrick were surrounded by members of the  Homecoming Court and family,  “The Pride of West Virginia,” the Mountaineer Marching Band and thousands of cheering fans, including alumni, attending the game at  Milan Puskar Stadium.

Mitchell Jr., a senior  biomedical engineering major from Orlando, Florida,  serves as the president of National Pan-Hellenic Council. He is a member of the  National Society of Black Engineers,  Biomedical Engineering Society and  Black Student Union. Mitchell Jr. is also a recipient of the  WVU Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources Scholarship of Distinction and 2022 Chapter President of the Year Award. He was sponsored by the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Pi Mu Chapter where he serves as president.

Quarrick, a senior  exercise physiology major with an emphasis in health professions from Morgantown, serves as peer mentor and teaching assistant for the  WVU Honors College and is a graduate of the  Honors Foundations Program. She is a member of  Alpha Epsilon Delta, the  Nolan Burch Greek Leadership Academy and Order of Omega Greek Life National Honor Society. Quarrick has also been selected to travel to Honduras during spring break in 2024 as a part of the  Global Medical and Dental Brigades. She was sponsored by the Pre-Physicians Assistant Club.

Other candidates include: Lauren Byrnside, a  dental hygiene major from Madison; Sarah Hollen, a  psychology major from Buckhannon; Caroline Johnson, an  industrial engineering major from Hurricane; Caitlin Newton, a  coaching and performance science major from Wayland, Massachusetts; Kaleigh Papez, a  human and health performance major from Morgantown; Malia Richardson, an industrial engineering major minoring in  communication studies from Morgantown; Olivia Suazo, a  corporate finance and valuation major minoring in  entrepreneurship from Ellicott City, Maryland; and Addison Wallace, an  elementary education major from Haymarket, Virginia

The  WVU Alumni Association marked its 150th anniversary this weekend and presented Homecoming and Service Awards at halftime.

Dr. Jo Ann and David Shaw (‘86) of Wheeling earned the title of 2023 Outstanding Alumni, and Gina and Joe Wells (‘87) are the recipients of the David W. Jacobs Lifetime Service Award.

Steven Saab (‘15) is the recipient of the Margaret Buchanan Cole Young Alumni Award, Dr. Cathy Funk (‘94, ‘98) the James R. McCartney Community Service Award, Robert Dailey (‘67) the Paul B. “Buck” Martin Values and Traditions Award, and Loren Lazear (‘85) the John F. Nicholas Jr. Award.

WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design alumna Farai Simoyi served as the grand marshal for the annual Homecoming parade Friday evening (Oct. 20).

Read more about the WVU Homecoming honorees.

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