Ellery Hill, a senior finance major from Michigan, was elected 2022 University of Alabama homecoming queen Friday at the UA Quad during the annual pep rally and bonfire, the university announced.

Nearly 10,000 votes were cast in the homecoming queen election as Hill bested four other candidates: Megan Abrams; Olivia Bruno; Olivia Burleson; and Bayley St. Clair.

Hill, who is from Hanover, Mich. and minors in women’s studies, said in her statement of intent that her hometown “is exactly what you would picture when listening to a country song. Cornfields line my dirt road, I spent my childhood camping in my backyard, and I graduated high school with only sixty other students.

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“While I have since moved and established my independence here at The University of Alabama, growing up in my hometown taught me that love and support are the foundation of community,” Hill continued in her statement of intent. “I am overwhelmed with gratitude as I look back on the love and support that this community has brought me. Through service opportunities here at UA, I have learned to be intentional in all that I do, ensuring that each role I take on is well suited to my strengths and that my efforts will result in an impact. Leadership opportunities granted to me in the last three years have encouraged responsibility and connection with mentees and other leaders across campus. The diverse perspectives and students that I have worked alongside have made my empathy more robust and well-suited to work with others. Finally, the educational and experiential opportunities at The University of Alabama have consistently fed – and fueled – my intellectual curiosity. It is through these four pillars that I will serve as homecoming queen.”

Hill is scheduled to be crowned homecoming queen during halftime of Saturday’s game between Alabama and Mississippi State at Bryant-Denny Stadium.