Samantha Hasse had been Samford University’s 2026 Homecoming queen for only a couple minutes when she offered to let a 5-year-old girl wear the crown.
Hasse knows plenty about cross-generational outreach. Her favorite part of Homecoming week is meeting the alumni who return to campus.
“It’s so much fun getting to see the people who make up the history of Samford,” said Hasse, a senior journalism and mass communication major and member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority.
“We have an ADPi homecoming brunch and it’s such a cool experience getting to know the women that used to be in our chapter, getting to hear their stories,” she said.
Hasse was crowned on Frank and Marti Buck Plaza, a green space surrounded by new Gaston and Mann residence halls, the remodeled University Center and the 165,000-square-foot Campus Recreation Complex. All those transformational projects were completed during Hasse’s four years on campus.
“Even though Samford has changed so much, it still has the same heart,” she said. “So it’s nice to hear from alumni how their wonderful experiences here were so similar to mine.”
“Even though Samford has changed so much, it still has the same heart. So it’s nice to hear from alumni how their wonderful experiences here were so similar to mine.” — Samantha Hasse
Hasse has served as an orientation leader for enrollment management, led a student Bible study group and served in the student government association.
Wes Anderson, a senior accounting major from Dallas, was named homecoming king. He volunteers for the admissions office and serves on the executive board of his fraternity, Alpha Tau Omega.
“It's great seeing the older brothers come back and getting to relish a great university with them,” he said. “We’re hosting an event at the house and looking forward to having tailgates.”
Other members of the Homecoming court were freshmen Izzy Burgos and Lucas Patterson, sophomores Hadley Danekas and Ethan Fletcher, juniors Ellen Cornelius and Jackson Herauf, and seniors Leighton Batcheller, Martha Bishop, Rilla Haverdink, Sophie Wright, Nick Ferrante, Seth Hillis, Bennett Wagley and Troup Wallace.
