Homecoming: SBU Announces Its 2025 Court of Royal Seawolves

Last year, Stony Brook University crowned its 40th iteration of Homecoming Royalty. Now, 10 Seawolves have the chance to join the 41st.

To revisit SBU history, back in 1984, Eric Levine and Jackie Delaney were crowned as the university's inaugural Homecoming King and Queen. Decades later in 2018, SBU adopted an all-gender Homecoming Court, allowing for three individuals to become "Stony Brook Royals." This honor was bestowed upon Dillon Peters, Jayleen Garcia, and Ruth Zhang during the past Homecoming season.

For this current season, the 2025 Homecoming Court includes: Karega Atkinson Jr., Madison Cinalli, Sarah Elbaroudy, Jaiden Francis, Lana Gouda, Bryant Peña, Luca Rallis, Shanell Rollon, David Safo, and Christopher Yang.

The bios for all 10 Seawolves on this year's 2025 Homecoming Court are as follows:

Karega Atkinson Jr., '26
Electrical Engineering, Applied Mathematics and Statistics Double Major
Karega came to SBU as an Electrical Engineering major before adding on his second, Applied Mathematics and Statistics, and getting very involved on campus. Karega first became a member of the National Society of Black Physicists, then joined the Dodgeball Club, then the National Society of Black Engineers, and then Blackworld. Semester after semester, he was involved in each as a member before eventually serving on the e-boards for all these clubs. Karega also became a Resident Assistant (RA) in Fall 2024, and continues to help the residential community as an RA, as well as the student involvement community as a student support specialist at Student Engagement and Support.

Madison Cinalli, '26
Biology and Psychology Double Major, with Specializations in Genetics and Chemistry/Biology, Respectively
Madison is a dedicated student leader and proud cat mom to her orange-and-white cat, Biscuit. She currently serves as the president of Theta Phi Alpha along with being the president of the Inter-Fraternity and Sorority Council, as well as the vice president of Order of Omega, the Greek honor society. She also acts as the assistant executive director of Wolfiethon, helping to raise over $100,000 last year for children's health. On top of the many leadership positions she holds, she is an FDNY-trained Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). She has mastered balancing her leadership-filled schedule with two jobs: one in the Fraternity and Sorority Life office, and the other part-time at Peet's Coffee in the DeVries Center. Whether she's working in the former hosting the first-ever Greek Week, or serving up lattes in the latter, she brings a unique energy and heart to everything she does. In her free time, you can find Madison in the kitchen baking apple pie, at the range practicing archery, or spending time with Biscuit.

Sarah Elbaroudy, '26
Political Science and Sociology Double Major, WISE Honors Program
Sarah is the president of the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) at SBU and a Division of Student Affairs (DoSA) Fellow. She represents students across the university's key governance bodies, including the Stony Brook Council, University Senate, College of Arts and Sciences Senate, and the Auxiliary Services Association (ASA) Board of Directors. She has led impactful advocacy efforts supporting undocumented and immigrant students, advancing academic policy reform for GPA recalculation, and improving transparency in student fee processes. Beyond campus, Sarah is engaged in SUNY-wide leadership through the SUNY Student Assembly, and works with the Office of Federal Relations to advance student advocacy at the federal level. Also a double major in Political Science and Sociology, she is committed to advancing student success through policy, governance, and inclusive representation.

Jaiden Francis, '26
Mechanical Engineering Major
Jaiden is a senior Mechanical Engineering student from Dominica and an eldest son of three boys. His current involvements include being an RA in Schick Hall, a mentor for Black and Latinx Initiatives Student Success (BLISS), a USG audio visual technician, and a Craft Room assistant. Outside these roles, Jaiden is also known as DJ 1Flame, bringing culture and style to his audience. His previous involvements include vice president of the Caribbean Student Organization (CSO); counselor and lead counselor of the Stony Brook Simons STEM Scholars Program's S2 and S3 cohorts, respectively; teaching assistant for MEC 225; mechanical team lead of the Stony Brook Robotics team; secretary and programs chair of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and a member of Stony DJ's. Some of his interests include going to the gym, running, Bible study, anime, skating, and writing. He is always looking for ways to get involved and connect on new platforms.

Lana Gouda, '26
Political Science and Economics Double Major, Philosophy Minor
Lana is a senior Political Science and Economics student who has dedicated her time on campus to building community and uplifting her peers. As president of the Political Science Society (PSS), she has organized engaging events and discussions that bring students together around important issues. As Student Life's Undergraduate coordinator of events and initiatives, she worked on events like Earthstock, Family Weekend, Winterfest, Siblings Weekend, SSK arts festival, and more. Lana has worked in various campus offices, including New Student and Transition Programs (NSTP), the Academy of Civic Life, and the Undergraduate Colleges. She believes in leading by example and inspiring others to find their voice and take pride in their journey at SBU.

Bryant Peña, '26
Chemistry and Biology Double Major
Bryant is a proud Latino member of the SBU community, majoring in both Chemistry and Biology. Along with doing research within the Chemistry Department and Dr. Surita Bhatia, Bryant's biggest involvements on campus include being an RA in Wagner Hall, part of the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) Advisory Board, and vice president for two campus organizations: the Synthetic Biology Society and the Latinos Business Association. He is also a University Scholar, former teaching assistant for General Chemistry Lab II (CHE 134), current teaching assistant for Physical Chemistry I (CHE 301), member of the Undergraduate Biology Student Advisory Board, and a peer mentor for the Black and Latino Initiatives for Student Success. Beyond all of his campus involvement, Bryant loves to weightlift and collect cards, specifically Pokémonand Yu-Gi-Oh!.

Luca Rallis, '26
Political Science Major
Luca is a senior Political Science student and serves as president of the SUNY Student Assembly as well as the SUNY Student Trustee. In these roles, he represents the interests of nearly 1.4 million students across the 64 campuses of the SUNY system. Since his freshman semester, Luca has been actively engaged in student leadership, serving in multiple governance roles that advocate for student concerns and enhance campus life. His leadership is marked by a commitment to elevating student voices and fostering collaboration across the Stony Brook community and beyond.

Shanell Rollon, '27
Biochemistry and Media/Art/Culture Double Major, Digital Arts Minor
Shanell is a first-generation student leader and creative, as well as an immigrant raised in the Philippines for 18 years. She serves as marketing director for the USG Student Activities Board, helping lead major campus events such as Wolfieland, Brookfest, Roth Regatta, and the WOW Drag Show. Shanell also works as the undergraduate marketing assistant graphic designer for the Office of Student Life, creating graphics like the Uncle Sam Wolfie voting stickers. She is the founder and president of Adobe Creatives at SBU, holds two national leaderships for the Premedical Division of the American Medical Women's Association, and has collaborated with over 50 brands, including Adobe, Valentino Beauty, Clinique, Garnier, Del Monte, Glow Recipe and Bubble Skincare.

David Safo, '26
Business Management Major Specializing in Finance, with Minors in Accounting, Real Estate and Insurance
David is a Business Honors student majoring in Finance with a minor in Real Estate and Insurance. He currently serves as the undergraduate student coordinator for the Dean of Students, where he leads initiatives supporting over 150 Black and Latinx students through mentorship programs, equity councils, and campus-wide events. David also holds the role of chief justice in USG, where he champions fair governance, judicial reform, and student advocacy. Professionally, he has interned in Global Markets at Société Générale and consults Fortune 500 executives at Broadridge on AI strategy and regulation. David is passionate about building inclusive systems and driving institutional change through leadership, strategy, and empathy.

Christopher Yang, '26
Journalism Major
Christopher is a senior Journalism student and loves to meet new people. He is the president of both the Pokémon GO club and Animated Perspectives, and also runs the Anime Convention on Campus, Brook Con. In his free time, Christopher likes to play basketball, make videos as an assistant multimedia editor for The Statesman, and read books.

- Sean Gribbin