Homecoming Royalty

2026 Homecoming Royalty Court

Now That’s What I Call Homecoming! We're excited to have you “join the band” for this year's homecoming. Be the star of your genre and let's see who our Royalty are. So, grab your microphones and get ready to dance into the spotlight!

Homecoming Royalty is an honored and longstanding tradition of Bakersfield College’s Homecoming celebration. The Royalty nomination and selection process is a tremendous opportunity to showcase and recognize a few of the many outstanding students at Bakersfield College. The Homecoming Royalty Court is comprised of four (4) students who shall represent the College and student body at various campus and community events throughout the year. 

The Homecoming Royalty Court celebrates Renegades who show leadership, pride, and a commitment to their community. Candidates will be selected based on their leadership experiences, academic achievement, campus involvement, and Renegade Spirit.

To apply, students must submit a brief essay, résumé, and headshot as part of the application. All nominees will participate in an interview with a panel of judges, who will select up to 12 finalists for the Royalty Court.

This is not a beauty pageant or a popularity contest. The selection is about what you bring to Bakersfield College—your academics, involvement on and off campus, and how you uplift your community. The students who stand out in these areas will be recognized as this year’s Royalty Court and represent BC throughout the year.

While anyone can nominate a student or self-nominate, the Homecoming Competition Teams can nominate a maximum of two individuals whom they feel exemplifies the BC Renegade Spirit. A nominee does not need to be a member of a team, but the nominee can only represent one team. The crowning of royalty and the winning team are separate competitions. Teams whose nominee makes it into the final running will receive bonus points as an incentive to encourage more students to be nominated.

Voting

Voting for the 2026 Homecoming Royalty Court will be held from Noon on Monday, October 12th, until 3 p.m. on Friday, October 16th online. The coronation of the Homecoming Court will be based upon the combined score of the Homecoming Royalty judges along with the ranking of the number of votes cast for the candidate. The 2026 Homecoming Royalty Court will be crowned during the Football game on Saturday, October 17, 2026.

Vote for BC Royalty Court

Meet the Royalty Court Candidates

Ismael Aguilar: My name is Ismael, I'm born and raised in Bakersfield and graduated from South High school in 2025. I'm currently majoring in Kinesiology. I like to play most sports, basketball especially. In my free time, I like to play video games and my favorite kinds of movies are Marvel movies, especially spider-man.
Angel Camacho Higuera: My name is Angel Camacho Higuera, and I serve the Bakersfield College Student Government Association as the Director of Student Organizations; I am part of the Kern Promise Program, the Pre-Law Program, and a member of the L.U.P.E, and Pre-Law Club. My major is Political Science, and I am in pursuit of becoming a Civil Rights Attorney. I am fluent in two languages: English and Spanish, and a proud Mexican-American Latina. I love getting involved and putting myself out there, especially when it means creating opportunities, uplifting others, and making a meaningful impact in my community.
Frankie Dirden: My name is Frankie Dirden, I am The First Renegades President, and a proud member of NASSSP. I enjoy dancing, singing, and a huge fan of K-pop. I am also Yaqui from the Tribe Texas Band of Yaqui Indians, where I am heavily involved in my culture and heritage.
Sakai Gilford: My name is Sa'Kai Gilford, and I am a dual-enrollment student at Bakersfield College pursuing my education while completing high school. I am involved in student leadership through BCSGA, where I serve as a Senator Pro Temp, and I am also a member of Umoja. I am passionate about leadership, community, education, and creating opportunities for others to feel represented and included. As I continue working toward my future goals, I am proud to be a Renegade and grateful for the experiences Bakersfield College has given me.
Zaina Jawad: My name is Zaina Jawad, and I am a Business Administration and Economics major at Bakersfield College in my final year. I am passionate about student leadership, inclusion, and creating a campus community where every culture and background feels represented and valued. As BCSGA Vice President for 2026-2027, I am committed to listening to students and making their voices heard, while staying involved across campus through EOPS, the Tutoring Center, InterVarsity, and BC events. Outside of school, I am a gym enthusiast who loves dancing, reading, going on adventures, and making people laugh with my TikTok and I love communicating with people and I won debate competition as well.
Susana Lopez: My name is Susana and I'm majoring in biology. I am very outgoing and can be introverted at first. With time I can become an extrovert and I love to play soccer. I hope to obtain a bachelor's in Biology to become a Veterinarian one day.
Trinity Mattheus: I am Trinity Mattheus. I love painting and watching movies/shows in my free time. I love dancing but honestly terrible at it. I am the oldest of 6 with both dogs and cats in my family.

How to Apply for Homecoming Royalty Court

To be an applicant for Homecoming Royalty Court, candidates must agree to the following:

Be a current and registered Bakersfield College student enrolled in six or more credits and have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.
Be in good standing with Bakersfield College (no judiciary sanctions). All past judicial sanctions will be reviewed by the Dean of Students to determine eligibility.
Cannot be sponsored or funded by a College office, department, or governing organizations (Student Government, Academic Departments, Student Services Offices, etc.) but can be sponsored by registered student organizations or community partners.
Provide a typed essay (between 100-300 words) expressing the candidate’s school spirit and why the candidate should be selected as Homecoming Royalty, along with a current resume and professional headshot.
If a candidate is found to be under the influence of alcohol or substances or under review for judicial sanctions before or during any event, the candidate will be withdrawn from the competition. All candidates must abide by the Student Code of Conduct.

All Candidates must:

Attend designated Homecoming Activities
Be willing to be photographed and filmed
Participate in the Homecoming Parade
Attend the Homecoming Football Game and participate in the Royalty Crowning

Nominations

To nominate a student fill out the application below by the deadline or email studentlife@bakersfieldcollege.edu.

Application

Applications are now closed, as of Thursday, October 8, 2026, at 6 PM.

Homecoming: Royalty Court Application

Timeline and Requirements for the Top 12

Interview with the Judges - Week of October 5th - 9th
Notification of Candidacy - Once interviews are completed
Candidates can start advertising - Saturday, October 10, 2026 (after notified)
Bring Your Playlist to Life: Office/Department Decorating - All Week
Musical Monday: Playbill Design/Decorating  - Monday, October 12, 2026
Country Tuesday: Line Dancing Workshop - Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Jazz Wednesday: A Night of Jazz - Wednesday, October 14, 2026
Rock Thursday: Deep Cuts - Thursday, October 15, 2026
Disco Friday: Silent Disco Homecoming Dance - Friday, October 16, 2026
Renegade Remix: Homecoming Parade and Tailgade - Saturday, October 17, 2026
Homecoming Royalty Court Crowning - Saturday, October 17, 2026

Selection Criteria for the Top 12

25% Leadership Activities
25% BC Involvement
25% Academic Achievement
25% Presentation and Attitude

Individual Incentive

The four students selected for the 2026 BC Homecoming Royalty Court may also be eligible to receive $100 scholarship.

Points

500 points will be given to each team whose nomination made the top 12 candidates.
1000 points will be given to the teams whose nomination is voted onto the 2026 Royalty Court.

For more information, contact the Office of Student Life
Phone: (661) 395-4355
Email: studentlife@bakersfieldcollege.edu