Mississippi State University announced the recipients of the 2016 Homecoming court and among those is Shawanda Brooks as Homecoming Queen. She is the first African American Homecoming Queen at MSU in 15 years.
A few organizations and titles Shawanda holds include being an active member and secretary of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., president of IDEAL Women, member of the Montgomery Leadership Program and the Student Honor Code Council.
Brooks’ campaign slogan entitled “Break Barriers with Brooks,” urged everyone to abandon the walls of normalcy. 
Brooks said a long-term goal of hers is to be able to exhibit the true culture of diversity at MSU and she is grateful to have been chosen by the student body to do so.
“Simply saying that I am honored to represent the student body as Homecoming Queen would be an understatement,” Brooks said. “It was no one but God.”
However, an honor such as this is not so new to Brooks. 
Brooks said in her senior year in high school, she was crowned the very first African American Homecoming Queen of Germantown High School.
“That unforgettable and exciting experience sparked my interest in running for Homecoming Court upon coming to Mississippi State University,” Brooks said.
After being named Homecoming Queen, Brooks has been on the move, not only getting herself ready and prepared for Homecoming, but implementing plans and ideas as a representative of the MSU student body. 
Brooks said her faith is very important to her and without it she would not have been able to be where she is.
“This experience is a very personal and spiritual one to me,” Brooks said. “God has placed awesome people in my path to help guide me to a realm of success. It means the world to me to not only be the first African American Homecoming Queen in 15 years, but only the fifth in MSU’s history, and the third Homecoming Queen from the Lambda Eta Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc.”
Word certainly spread quickly among MSU’s campus and the town of Starkville.
Ray Greason, MSU alumni, said she is very proud of Brooks, and hearing she has become Homecoming Queen only makes her even more proud to be a Bulldog.
“It’s definitely a big deal, to see the evidence of hard work and diversity spread throughout my alma mater is extraordinary,” Greason said.
Brooks’ hard work ethic and strong mindset are among a long list of traits her sorority sister Dominique Land said about her.
“Shawanda and I were brought together by our sorority, A.K.A., and she and I instantly clicked,” Land said, “she is such a caring person and vocal on wanting to make our school better and more diverse.”
Land said she knows Brooks will use her achievement and platform to inspire young girls and young women alike, to shoot for their dreams and become whatever they aspire to be.
“I can say with surety that I am inspired by Shawanda, so I do not doubt that there are young minority girls who will look at her and believe they, too, can break barriers,” Land said.
Brooks said she prays her experience encourages African American girls to become brave student leaders at their predominantly white institution. 
“My ultimate desire is that they keep God first as they genuinely serve the institution and its people,” Brooks said. “I also hope that my story is a constant reminder to courageously take that leap into anything their hearts yearn.”
With so much debate and discourse over the state of diversity among predominantly white institutions, Brooks said finding a voice of your own is so important.
“As a minority at a predominantly white institutions, it is easy to be overlooked, but my advice is to continue to be yourself, maintain a servant heart and always express unconditional love to others; those three things are difficult to overlook,” Brooks said.
Brooks said her next goal  rapidly approaching is graduating with her bachelor’s in biological science in May.
“While I ponder furthering my education in student affairs, I plan on going back to my alma mater, Germantown High School to teach biology or even coach women’s basketball,” Brooks said.
You can catch Brooks being crowned as MSU’s 2016 Homecoming Queen on Saturday, October 29 at Davis Wade Stadium during halftime as the Bulldogs face off against Samford University.