Courtney Bergeron, a senior majoring in public relations, is the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s 2016 Homecoming queen.
Maids on the Homecoming Court are Oluwakemi Ajala of Lafayette; Katelyn Bayhi of Lafayette; Katie Frith of Kaplan, La.; Megan Parfait of Lafayette: Kristen Petitjean of Lafayette; and Kayla “Katie” Wappel of Springfield, Ill. Nominees for the court are submitted by UL Lafayette student organizations. Senior Louisiana Ragin’ Cajun football players choose the court after nominees have been interviewed.
The Homecoming Court will be featured on a float in the annual Homecoming Parade that begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5. Later that day, the court will be presented on the football field during halftime of the Homecoming game. The Ragin’ Cajuns will square off against the Idaho Vandals at 4 p.m.
Bergeron was nominated for the Homecoming Court by the Black Male Leadership Association.
She is a tour guide and member of the social media team for UL Lafayette’s Office of Admissions. She is a member of Delta Delta Delta Sorority, National Society of Leadership and Success, UL Public Relations Student Society of America and Ragin’ Cajun Catholics. Bergeron is also a lead mentor with UL Lafayette Peer Mentors.
Bergeron was named UL Lafayette Outstanding Freshman of the Year in 2014 and graduated from the Alpha Class of the UL Lafayette Emerging Leaders Summit in 2015.
She is a previous Walt Disney World entertainment cast member as part of the Disney College Program.
She has been a volunteer for St. Joseph Diner, Acadiana Center for the Arts, and New Hope Tutoring Program. This year, Bergeron was Festival International de Louisiane’s social media manager; she’s also a member of the organization’s Marketing Committee.
She is the daughter of Patrick and Cassi Bergeron of Luling, La.
Oluwakemi Ajala, a senior majoring in chemical engineering, was nominated by the National Society of Black Engineers. She’s public relations chair of that group.
Ajala is student vice president of Phi Kappa Phi, and a member of the African Student Association, American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the Society of Women Engineers. She is a previous chapter president of Tau Beta Pi, a previous College of Engineering senator with the Student Government Association, a previous associate ambassador for UL Engineering Ambassadors, and previous vice president of the International Student Council Executive Board.
She is a volunteer for New Hope Tutoring and for Festival International de Louisiane.
Ajala is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Shola Ajala of Lagos, Nigeria.
Katelyn Bayhi, a senior majoring in public relations and criminal justice, was nominated by Kappa Delta Sorority. She is the sorority’s pledge class coordinator, and has held several of its leadership offices.
Bayhi has been an active member of the Student Government Association. She is vice president of the Criminal Justice Society and a member of the National Society for Leadership and Success and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.
Bayhi volunteered with flood relief programs after historic flooding in Louisiana this year.
She is the daughter of Paul and Judy Bayhi of Baton Rouge, La.
Katie Frith, a senior majoring in biology, was nominated for the court by Students for the Autism Society. She is president of that organization.
Frith is also a member of UL Lafayette’s Pre-Professional Society and the National Society of Leadership and Success. She has been a volunteer with football game day operations and with Science Day on campus.
Her community service includes volunteering with the Pediatric Department of Women’s and Children’s Hospital. Frith has been a Maltrait Memorial Catholic School and Mount Carmel Elementary volunteer basketball coach.
She is the daughter of Clint and Trisha Frith of Kaplan, La.
Megan Parfait, a senior majoring in chemistry, was nominated by the Interfraternity Council.
She is a member of Phi Mu sorority and vice president of programming on the executive board of the Panhellenic Council. An Honors student, she is president of the College of Sciences for the Student Government Association and a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success.
Parfait has tutored students and has been a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and for FoodNet.
Parfait is the daughter of Sheila and Brett Cooley of Lafayette.
Kristen Petitjean, a senior majoring in psychology and public relations, was nominated by the Honors Program. She has been an Honors Program Board member since 2015.
Petitjean is a founding member of Alpha Delta Pi Sorority, and a member of the Student Orientation Staff and the Big Event executive board. She is also a member of many other organizations, including Phi Beta Delta Honor Society, the Psychology Colloquium and the Residence Hall Association.
Petijean has performed over 200 service hours at area festivals.
She is the daughter of Brian and Carol Petitjean of Rayne, La.
Kayla “Katie” Wappel, a junior majoring in business informatics, was nominated by the Student Government Association. She is a College of Sciences senator for SGA and was named SGA’s 2015-16 Outstanding College President.
Wappel is vice president of Communications for Alpha Omicron Pi. She has held several leadership offices with the UL Lafayette Honors Program and is a member of the Student Leadership Council and the Panhellenic Council Executive Board.
She was UL Lafayette Ragin Recognition’s 2016 Outstanding Sophomore.
Wappel is the daughter of Paul and Patsy Wappel of Springfield, Ill.
Members of the 2016 UL Lafayette Homecoming Court are, from left: Katie Frith, maid; Katelyn Bayhi, maid; Oluwakemi Ajala, maid; Courtney Bergeron, queen; Katie Wappel, maid; Megan Parfait, maid; and Kristen Petitjean, maid.