Homecoming king Messiah Madison and queen Vada Banks pose in their crowns at the MUAHS homecoming dance.
By NEVAEH BOYD | Journalism Student, Mount Union Area Senior High School
Mount Union, Pa. — Your vote, their crown. On Oct. 3, Mount Union Area High School hosted its annual homecoming dance, where Messiah Madison and Vada Banks were named this year’s homecoming king and queen.
Messiah Madison is the son of Monica Madison. He was very excited when he was announced as king and had been equally excited to be nominated for homecoming court. He was not confident that he would win, but he added, “Everyone that I talked to or that came up to me told me I was going to win.”
He was very nervous waiting for the results because he truly believed one of the other candidates would win, so his own win was a wonderful surprise. After being named king, Madison first shared the news with his mom. He was appreciative to have the support of the students who voted for him.
Madison plans to return to Mount Union to support future homecoming courts. “I love Mount Union, and I plan to come back for many future school events,” he said. Madison wants to go to college to become either a physical therapist or a mental health therapist.
Vada Banks is the daughter of Annie and Dustin Banks. She was very shocked when she was named to homecoming court, but as the homecoming activities began, she grew excited to be part of the experience.
“If I had to describe how I felt when I found out, I would say I was more shocked than anything, but the excitement hit me after I started participating in all the activities and hanging out with the other girls on court,” Banks said. She was very nervous walking across the field but was also proud that she could be there at that moment.
Banks did not expect to win, but she shared that her mom had been her biggest supporter. From the moment Banks was named to the court, her mom was convinced she would win. When she was announced as queen, she first thought of her parents and the other family members who came to support her that night.
Like Madison, Banks loves the idea of coming back to support future homecoming courts. Her future plans include attending college, though she is still exploring her options for a major.
As the 2026 homecoming season comes to a close, Madison and Banks can look back on the surprise and excitement of being named king and queen. Neither expected to win, but both went home wearing a crown.
This article was published as part of Ms. Dimoff’s Journalism class at Mount Union Area Senior High School.
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