As homecoming season comes to a close, a few curious students could still want a deeper dive into who exactly they voted for to represent their class on the homecoming court. Many were nominated, but only one pair came through as the newest homecoming royalty at Jenks High School.
The simple thing to do would be to boil them down to their many accomplishments: Student council president, Drug Free Youth officer, FCCLA president, tennis and lacrosse stars, and National Honor Society members (just to name a few). But by sitting down and talking with Tyse Cole and Presley Lada, it’s clear there’s more to them than meets the eye.
Royal is the word some might think of when seeing the picture from the moment Presley Lada was crowned homecoming queen. Smiling gracefully in a beautiful dress, the picture-representation of the senior class.
And while all of these things are true, speaking with Presley revealed how very down-to-earth she is. Conversation was light and fun as we dove into her emotions from the day she won her crown.
“I honestly felt really like, loved. I was just, like, so surprised and happy.”
Lada has no shortage of activities to keep her busy. She’s attended New Life Ranch for ten years, some as a camper and most recently as a counselor. As FCCLA president, she ensures that nearly 400 students have fulfilling activities during monthly meetings and events. On the tennis court, she dedicates time to improving herself and her teammates.
Through her actions, she shines the qualities that students at Jenks want represented in a homecoming queen. Lada is committed to helping her peers succeed in a variety of ways. She takes on leadership roles because of her strength and ability to guide others, something she is hoping to continue in her planned future of construction management.
“For college, I don't want to follow after the stereotypical experience,” Said Lada, “I want to go and do my own thing.”
When meeting with the homecoming king, it's hard not to be infected by his joyful nature. Tyse Cole is described by most as an easy-going, approachable guy or the kind of person that immediately makes a room brighter. Sitting across from him, all those words describe him accurately. He said it was something he had to develop over time.
“Pre-Coming into High school, I tried to be in cliques that weren’t really my cliques, you know? But now, I can be someone who enjoys learning and be Student Body president… there’s people for you everywhere.”
But there’s something about him that you wouldn’t know just by looking at him.
When Cole talks about his passions, a light comes to life in his eyes, full of excitement as he describes his hopeful plans for the future. His demeanor turns from friendly to focused in the best way.
Cole is clear about his ambitions for the road ahead of him: serve. Serving in any way he can lights a spark in him. He shows this passion at Jenks through his STUCO presidency and heavy involvement in other clubs
Of course, his goal after high school is to carry on this passion of serving and complete a two-year mission before attending BYU (all while continuing lacrosse, of course).
“Hopefully I’ll go somewhere and learn a new language,” Cole said, “Being able to explore a different culture would be interesting and being able to spread Christ’s love is something I’m really looking forward to and excited about.”
Both are also extremely humble, expressing how grateful they are to have been nominated and even more honored that peers would choose them from the nearly 900 students in the 2027 senior class.
With steady ambitions for the future and a love for Jenks and all its students, it’s safe to say that the right people were crowned as this year’s Jenks homecoming royalty.
Written by Senior Marie Catterson