The same student who won UCF Homecoming Queen received the Order of the Pegasus – the University of Central Florida’s highest honor given to a student.
When Knight News interviewed Jerome and Homecoming King Kevin Louidor in October, Jerome opened on her dream of inspiring her peers. Taking notice of the elementary school-aged children as well as the faces of her peers – earning the vote during Homecoming Week – proved that the impact she looks for had been made.
“That’s exactly why I wanted to be Homecoming Queen,” Jerome said to Knight News following Louidor’s comment about inspiring others.
“After being crowned, so many little kids wanted to take pictures with us and were looking up to us. It’s important to have people that look like you to inspire you to reach that level and beyond. So that’s exactly what I wanted to do.”
“Becoming homecoming queen, to me, was completely for the culture. I wanted to be able to make everyone else feel like someone who looks like something other than your average person on an advertisement can achieve and excel,” said Jerome looking back to the Fall. Cultural awareness and inclusion is what I based my campaign on and I’m happy that it was able to prevail. It was even more special to be on the first all Black, Haitian-American court. God really aligned this one to make a difference.
The double-major in political science and regional/cultural studies served on the President’s Leadership Council with Dr. John C. Hitt – in his 25th year as the president of the university.
On the tail of the accomplishment, another honor would follow the work of the Homecoming Queen before her college career came to a close.
“Order of Pegasus is something that most students dream about. I’m happy that I was able to be authentically myself along the way. All of my involvement has been out of pure passion and I am pleased my heavily multicultural resume has been recognized by the university at this level,” said Jerome.
“I attribute everything I do, everything I am, and everything I hope to be to my faith in God and my family. My appreciation for those who have gone before me and my duty to myself as a first-generation scholar in this country encourages me to keep going.”
“I am so grateful to wake up every day to a life of opportunity and I would be remiss to not mention the fact many people like me are without these same opportunities.”
