University of Mary 2026 Homecoming Royalty Announced
BISMARCK, ND — The University of Mary announced its 2026 Homecoming King, Queen, and court during coronation ceremonies held Wednesday, October 1, in Founders Hall of the Lumen Vitae University Center (LVUC). The celebration coincided with the university’s annual Day of Service — North Dakota’s largest single-day volunteer event — as more than 1,300 students, faculty, and staff served organizations throughout Bismarck, Mandan, and Fort Yates, as well as University of Mary sites in Rome, Italy, and at Arizona State University.
Homecoming Queen is Regina Turner. She is from Gays Mills, Wisconsin, and will graduate in the spring with a major in marketing and a minor in digital media and content creation. She grew up on her family's organic dairy farm and spent her time hiking, skiing, running, and swimming in what she would consider the most beautiful part of the Midwest. Her time at Mary has been a joyful adventure of spiritual and personal growth which she is grateful to be able to continue for her final year! Beyond going to Mass, studying, and spending time with friends, she loves to stay involved on campus. She serves as media lead for the University Ministry team, is a member of the GTSB Emerging Leaders Academy, is the PR officer for the Investment club, and is an alto in Concert Choir. She was blessed to be able to study abroad in Rome, has participated in clubs and intramurals, and was also in the campus musical last spring. These are all experiences which have brought her great joy during her time at college. After graduation, she will be pursuing a career in marketing and communications with a Catholic organization or business.
Homecoming King is Timothy Giles. He is an international student from Ghana, studying biology. Giles says that he studies biology because it is a field filled with so much wonder that leaves him thinking how marvelous the God is we serve. He is the first and only son and grandson in his family, and his faith was handed down to him by two wonderful women: his mother and grandmother. Giles loves music, singing and dancing, cooking, and is a fan of FC Barcelona. On campus, he is an altar server at Mass and is a member of St. Joseph’s Hall. Additionally, he is a proud member of the Spring 2025 Rome Cohort, a group with 31 women and just one other gentleman. His time here at Mary has been filled with God’s grace as he has grown in relationships with friends and with the Lord.
Homecoming Court:
Mari Anderson is from Great Falls, Montana, and will graduate in May with degrees in biomechanics and Catholic studies. Anderson is the middle of five children; she has an older brother and sister and two younger brothers. She also has a niece and a nephew who are the light of her life. Anderson considers herself extremely blessed to have attended the University of Mary, a place which truly has become another home for her. She’s poured herself into the community by being a resident assistant in Rome and Roers Hall. She also has served on the University Ministry team during her junior year and continues to do so this year. Anderson has loved participating in events such as singing for Exultate, Coffee House, and Monday Morning Mission. She also loves playing intramural basketball and volleyball as well as participating in FOCUS bible studies and discipleship. Anderson is extremely grateful for the relationships she’s formed and for the education she’s received at the University of Mary and looks forward to sharing it with the people she encounters in the future.
Madi Gifford grew up in western Nebraska and has lived in four different states, with her family currently residing in Hays, Kansas. She will graduate in May with a degree in elementary education. Gifford has been involved in student government and intramural sports during her time at Mary. She's also served St. Scholastica Hall and babysat for the Saint Teresa of Calcutta Community for Mothers. Her favorite things about college are pub nights, apartment life, hanging out with friends, hosting celebrations, and learning how to be a good teacher. Some of Gifford’s’s accomplishments in college include finishing second in the Ungettable Games (which she lost in a showdown) and completing the Bismarck Marathon. Gifford is particularly grateful to the University of Mary for the opportunity to study abroad in Rome, which was a life-changing semester for her.
Ella Kostelc is from Maple Grove, Minnesota, and she is majoring in theology and minoring in Catholic studies. Her time at the University of Mary has been filled with many formative experiences that have influenced her friendships, faith, and overall view of the world. Kostelc is currently in her second year working on the University Ministry team, and she has also spent her time at the university as a board member for Letters of Love, a resident assistant for Greg Butler Hall, and a bible study leader for FOCUS. You can see her in the Crow’s Nest enjoying an intentional meal with a friend, in the library studying, or in the University Ministry office. After her time at the University of Mary, Kostelc plans to pursue a profession in service to the Church, taking the wonderful formation she has received from the University of Mary and giving it to those she encounters.
Hannah Martel is a native of Bismarck and is the second oldest of eight children. She will graduate in the spring with a degree in early childhood education and elementary education. She is involved in Emerging Leaders Academy, the Peer Leader Program, and participates in various campus events. You can also find her cheering on the Marauders at sporting events! She has served as a resident assistant in the campus apartments and studied abroad in Rome. Martel is not sure where or who she will teach, but she is very excited to bring the values that she learned during her time at the University of Mary with her wherever she may go.
Jase Kleser is from Bismarck and will graduate this spring with a degree in music--with a focus in sacred music--and a minor in business administration. He has two younger siblings: A sister, Aubrey, and a brother, Quinn. Kleser has spent the last three years at Mary filling every spare moment with music ensembles, including one of his most favorite: Monday Morning Mission's Ablaze worship team, which he says is always looking for more members who love to share Christ's love through song! He also has many hobbies, including auto-mechanics, woodworking, welding, sewing, reading, cooking, and drinking tea. Kleser also serves at House of Prayer Church in Bismarck as the music director, singing and playing organ and piano for Sunday and Wednesday Services; conducting the chancel choir; and leading the youth in song during Sunday School! Concerning his future vocations, He says he is content with anything God throws his way and sees a possible future in banking alongside his ministry positions.
Owen Parker was born and raised in southern California, the fifth of seven children. He is going to graduate in May with a degree in politics and dramatic arts, two disciplines for which he developed a passion in his youth. His time at the University of Mary has brought about great growth in him as he has filled his time as a resident assistant all four years, an officer in the Collegians For Life club and Musical Theater Troupe, a recurring actor in the school plays, and a member of the Gregorian Scholars Honors program. Parker hopes to take his love for the Benedictine value of respect for persons with him to a career in public service, through law or politics, upholding the dignity of the human person, so all may be received as Christ.
CJ Surprenant is from Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, and will graduate this May after majoring in strategic communication and minoring in digital media and content creation. Since April, he has been serving as student body president. He has also served two years as a resident assistant in North Hall and the apartments, where he is serving this year. He's involved around the University in other capacities such as altar serving, lectoring at Mass, and as a babysitter with our Saint Teresa of Calcutta Community for Mothers. With plans of entering the MBA program upon graduation, he will carry out the mission of the University of Mary wherever God may take him.
Zach True is from Mendota Heights, Minnesota. He will graduate in May with majors in dramatic arts and accounting with a minor in finance and banking services. He is the second of four children in his family and is a proud godfather. True loves acting and working behind the scenes of the dramatic arts productions at the University of Mary, as well as participating and leading the club theater programs on campus. While he does not plan on working in theater, True plans on being a part of community theater and giving back by helping his local catholic high school with their theater programs. Whether in theater or other areas, he looks forward to practicing all the virtues he has gained working for and attending the University of Mary and serving his community!
About the University of Mary: True to its motto, lumen vitae — The Light of Life — the University of Mary provides an education for the whole of life, preparing students for professional excellence, moral courage, leadership and service. Founded in 1959 by the Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery, Mary is a private, coeducational Christian, Catholic and Benedictine university that welcomes students of all faiths and backgrounds.
One of only a handful of residential colleges and universities recommended by The Cardinal Newman Society, the University of Mary offers 65 undergraduate majors, 21 master’s degrees and five doctoral degrees in business administration, education, nursing practice, occupational therapy and physical therapy. Mary serves approximately 4,000 students through its main campus in Bismarck, locations in North Dakota, Montana, Arizona and Rome, Italy, and a growing array of online programs.
The University of Mary is also a significant contributor to the region it calls home. In fiscal year 2025-26, university direct spending and student discretionary spending had a combined economic effect of more than $266 million on the Bismarck-Mandan regional economy. Mary students further strengthen the region through employment, internships, fieldwork and volunteer service, building connections with hundreds of businesses and nonprofit organizations that often continue after graduation.
Anyone wishing to learn more about the University of Mary can visit umary.edu or online.umary.edu, email enroll@umary.edu, or call 701-355-8030.
