Last week, students nominated and eventually voted for the 2025-2026 Homecoming court. As people wondered who would win, the suspense culminated on Friday, Sept. 12, when the final winners were announced over the loudspeakers. For the junior class, the winning couple was Livana Anderson and Jonah Hoyeaux.
The two have been dating for almost two years now, a relationship that began partially thanks to a mutual friend. However, their relationship truly began to spark through conversation.
“I used to always see him practicing in the gym when I would always walk through to get to the locker room,” Anderson said. “One day [Jonah and his friends] stopped me and we talked, and then it went on from there.”
The two have had many experiences together throughout their time as a couple. However, one favorite stands out as a tradition.
“We go to Target a lot and just play around, like look at a bunch of things,” Anderson said. “That’s actually one of the first dates that we went on, we just walked around Target. It sounds crazy but it’s actually really fun.”
While the couple finds comfort and nostalgia in tried-and-true hangout spots, they also often expand their horizons.
“We go to a lot of places together and try new things,” Anderson said. “I have to say one of my favorite memories is when we went to Big Bear last winter break. He was snowboarding and I was skiing and I just thought that was really memorable.”
As individuals, Anderson and Hoyeaux both find joy in activities that bring them passion and fulfillment.
“I like to play basketball; I’m on the basketball team,” Hoyeaux said. “I also like to make music and hang out with my friends.”
Like Hoyeaux, Anderson also participates in athletics at OPHS.
“I do cheer, stunt and dance,” Anderson said. “I also do a lot of community service outside of school through Girl Scouts and other non-profits.”
Anderson has also made her mark right here at The Talon as one of its beloved broadcast editors. She can often be found filming anchor segments for episodes of The Swoop, The Talon’s main broadcast.
You could say that Anderson and Hoyeaux are like different fonts of each other. Hoyeaux describes Anderson as “smart, beautiful and relatable,” while Anderson describes him as “interesting, funny and dependable.” They are even both completely bilingual.
“I speak Czech; I’m fluent and biliterate,” Anderson said.
However, while Hoyeaux is bilingual like Anderson, they are not fluent in the same language. In fact, English wasn’t even Hoyeaux’s first language.
“I speak French. I was born in France, actually, in Paris,” he said.
When court winners were announced, the couple’s win didn’t come as much of a surprise to Hoyeaux.
“Not gonna lie, I was not that shocked, but I was excited,” he said.
Anderson, on the other hand, didn’t anticipate the win as much. However, she is equally as thrilled at the result.
“I was pretty surprised, I didn’t think that we were gonna win,” Anderson said. “But I kept on telling myself and others that we were [gonna win], I guess to kinda manifest and try to build up that confidence. I was really happy to find out we won and really excited to see everything we’re gonna do. I’m looking forward to the game and everything else.”
The couple is planning on attending the Homecoming dance on Saturday, Sept. 20 and are excited for the rest of the Homecoming festivities.
“We’re really grateful for this opportunity because not everybody gets to do it and not everybody can do it; it’s kind of special,” Anderson said. “Both of our entire families will be [at the game], so it’ll be really special to see everyone there, and us out [on the field]. [With all of the] pictures and the yearbook it’ll all be documented so I think that’s really cool.”
This article is part of a larger collection of stories covering the 2025-2026 Homecoming court. Check out the other nominees on our website.
