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Homecoming King Candidate John Dominic Rendinell

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Morgan McPherson
Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Taylor Deer
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at WVU chapter.

 

John Dominic “Domo” Rendinell is a Mathematics major from South Charleston, WV who graduated from Charleston Catholic High School in 2012. He is an avid baseball and college football fan, with his favorite teams being the Cincinnati Reds and (of course) the West Virginia Mountaineers. Rendinell has one sister, Nicole, and four step siblings; Natalie, John Paul, Michael Jay, and Clare.

Q: What made you want to run for Homecoming King or Queen?

 

I decided to run for Homecoming King for my mom. My father passed when I was very young, and my mom raised my sister and I basically by herself. Every day I wake up and try to be like the man my father was and make my mom proud. While many see Homecoming as a popularity contest or a personal accomplishment, I see it as an opportunity to make my mom smile and let her know she did an incredible job raising her two kids. This is why I selected her and my sister Nicole as my escorts for the game.

 

Q: Why do you think you would be a good King or Queen and why do you deserve this title?

 

 
I think I would be a good King because I want it for the right reasons. I do not view Homecoming as some type of popularity competition, but a true honor that should not be taken lightly. To be Homecoming King is not just a crown you win at a game, but a title that you carry with you for a full year and even beyond that. To represent West Virginia University as King would be a dream come true for me.
 
Q: What are your connections to the state of West Virginia? 
 
Both of my parents were born and raised in Ohio, but I was born in West Virginia, so my sister and I are actually the first generation of Rendinell’s to be true West Virginians. I have loved this state from the first moment I can remember. I have visited many areas around the state, and no matter where I go, from Clay to Shady Spring, or Parkersburg to Moorefield, there is one thing that is always consistent about West Virginia; the people. In my opinion, there is not another state in the Union that cares as much as the 1.8 million people of the state of West Virginia, and at the center of all this is our school. West Virginia University is West Virginia, and I know that for as long as I live, I will always be proud to be a Mountaineer.
 
Q: Why did you decide to attend school at WVU?
 
For me, there was never a decision to go somewhere other than WVU. I was accepted into many colleges and had scholarships all across the country, but I am a born and raised West Virginian. There was never a doubt in my mind where I would go to school because of my deep rooted love for this state, it’s people, and this University.

Q: If you had one message for the students of WVU, what would that message be?

One thing I’d like to say to WVU students to push yourself and reach for things that you might think aren’t reachable. I had a very standard high school experience, and quickly decided I did not want to do that again in college. I became a Founding Father of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity as a sophomore and was appointment Sergeant At Arms. A year later, I was voted President by my brothers, I title I still hold now. And now, I have made the Homecoming Court with hopes to becoming Homecoming King. To say I was not nervous and anxious in each of those situations would be a lie, but I am a better man because of it. Life is much more enjoyable when you challenge yourself, and who knows, you may surprise yourself with your successes.

 

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  I grew up in Charleston, West Virginia. Growing up here I knew there was a possibility of going to West Virginia University my entire life. Although I decided to start my college career at the University of Kentucky, those country roads led me back to WVU in the spring of my sophomore year. This was also the point when I decided to establish myself as a Broadcast Journalist student. Since this point I have strived to become the best possible journalist I can be. I am currently working as a weekend reporter for WDTV-Channel 5 in Clarksburg, West Virginia. Prior to receiving this position, I worked as an intern with WCHS-tv/FOX11, in the summer of 2014, where I learned critical editing, interviewing, writing, and speaking skills. I worked closely with anchors, reporters, editors, directors, producers, and even the web team. Aside from the television industry, I am the Campus Correspondent for the West Virginia University Chapter of the online entertainment magazine, Her Campus. Another position I currently hold is the Social Media Chair of WVU’s Radio Television Digital News Association Chapter. In the Fall of 2012, I became a sister of the Alpha Phi Fraternity, in which I held the position of ‘Big Sister Chairman.’ My other passions include horse back riding, scuba diving, being outdoors, and running. I am very adventurous and I try to stay well rounded. My goal in life is to live life to the fullest and be the best possible version of myself. My ultimate goal would be to earn a spot as a reporter/anchor for Fox News, New York. I plan to graduate in December of 2016 and look forward to my future.