UHV Homecoming wraps up with royalty
Helenavi Sumilong didn’t initially think about being part of the University of Houston-Victoria’s Homecoming Court when it was suggested earlier this year, but once she received a little encouragement, she decided to go for it.
Sumilong, a junior communications major from Harlingen, ended up being named one of UHV’s Royal Jaguars as part of the university’s Homecoming celebration. The other two winners were Tabree Houston, a senior communications major from Victoria, and Michael Meza, an international business senior from Del Rio.
“It feels fantastic to be named a Royal Jaguar,” Sumilong said. “I didn’t expect to get a lot of votes, but I guess I’ve made more of an impression with people than I thought.”
This is the fifth year the Royal Jaguars have been named during the university’s homecoming celebration. The university changed the title from Homecoming King and Queen to Royal Jaguars in 2021 to offer a more inclusive option for students.
This year’s homecoming theme was “Reaching for the Stars.” On Saturday, the President’s Tailgate was held, and spectators rallied to cheer on the Jaguars as they faced off against LSU Alexandria in a doubleheader baseball game. The game was also Senior Day, when UHV honors its senior student-athletes. Tickets for the games on Friday and Saturday were sponsored by Crossroads Bank.
“Homecoming is always a joyful time for our university,” UHV President Bob Glenn said. “We love welcoming our alumni back to campus and seeing how our students come together to celebrate being part of the UHV family. I am proud to see these students receive the well-deserved honor of Royal Jaguars.”
Although she says she hasn’t been as involved this year as in previous years, Sumilong has been part of some major student organizations during her time at UHV. She is currently serving as vice president of the Jaguar Activities Board and is director of student organizations for the UHV Student Government Association. She also was selected to be the next SGA president.
“I love the community at UHV and being part of all of the events that bring people together,” she said. “I want to continue doing that here and when I graduate. I want to find a career that lets me connect with people.”
For Houston, receiving the Royal Jaguar crown was bittersweet. She had joined the homecoming court with a friend, who eventually decided to drop out of the running. However, the experience is an exciting one, and she loves being a part of UHV’s community.
“This is a cool feeling. UHV has given me so many great experiences,” Houston said. “At age 25, I’m seeing things a lot differently from when I was 18 and looking to leave home. Now I see how UHV offers a lot of the same things as other universities, but in a better way because it is a smaller community. I’ve met so many students from all over the world and the U.S. who have touched my life in special ways. It’s made the university feel like home.”
When she graduates in May, Houston wants to find a career that allows her to follow her drive to make a difference in others’ lives while also seeing the world. She is grateful to her best friends Annette Clark and Melody Kloss for being there for her. She also is thankful to her faculty mentors Anthony Madrid, Nadya Pittendrigh and Daniel White.
“I want to use my degree to make a difference and find freedom for myself,” she said. “I don’t want to be chained to a desk 40 hours a week. I want to travel and experience the world God created.”
Receiving his Royal Jaguar crown was a great moment for Meza, who will be graduating in May. When he first joined the Homecoming Court, he was a little concerned that he wouldn’t do well because he wasn’t as involved this year while doing an internship and focusing on ending his senior year well.
“My internship with the Golden Crescent Habitat for Humanity and my classes have been taking up more of my time, but I guess I’m still known well around campus,” he said. “It feels great to know people remember me and voted for me.”
In previous semesters, Meza has served as president of the Multicultural Advisory Council and the Jaguar Activities Board. Being connected to his fellow students and the UHV community is a source of joy for him.
“I love being at UHV,” he said. “There’s never a dull moment because people all know each other here. No matter where you go on campus, you’re almost certain to see someone you know.”
When he graduates, Meza hopes to return to UHV to earn his Master of Business Administration in marketing. As he looks back at his time at the university, he is grateful for his family and friends who supported him as he was earning his degree. One day, he hopes to be in a career that will allow him to help others.
“Helping is very important to me,” he said. “People need help from time to time in their lives, and I want to be someone who can fill that need.”
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 50 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.