Axe ’Em, Jacks!
NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Charleston Strong and Liam Tomberlain, both of Longview, will serve as children of the court during Stephen F. Austin State University’s 2023 Homecoming celebrations this weekend.
Charleston is the 6-year-old daughter of Morgan and Ronnie Strong, 2009 and 2012 graduates of SFA, respectively. She is the granddaughter of Chuck and Babette Tomberlain, also 1984 and 1985 SFA graduates, respectively. Charleston is a future third-generation Lumberjack and enjoys talking and traveling. Her favorite destinations are Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Nacogdoches, which she fondly refers to as "Axe ’em, Jacks." The only things she loves as much as her Lumberjacks are her sisters, cousin and Barbies.
Liam is the 5-year-old son of Cole and Kendall Tomberlain. Cole is a 2010 graduate of SFA and was named the university’s 2019 Outstanding Young Alumnus. Kendall, a 2012 graduate of Baylor University, is set to receive her Master in Education from SFA this December. Liam has acquired his father’s love of science, history and strategy games. He can often be found setting up troops in various battle formations to attack his dinosaurs. He shares his mother’s kind heart, free spirit and taste in music. His favorite song to sing in the mornings when he wakes up is Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.”
Charleston and Liam will ride in the Homecoming parade Saturday, Oct. 21, beginning at 10 a.m. Later, they will participate in the crowning of the SFA Homecoming queen during halftime of the football game between SFA and Abilene Christian University, which begins at 4 p.m. at Homer Bryce Stadium.
The Homecoming parade is free and open to the public. To learn more or purchase tickets to the game, visit sfajacks.com.
ABOUT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE UNIVERSITY
Stephen F. Austin State University, the newest member of The University of Texas System, began a century ago as a teachers’ college in Texas’ oldest town, Nacogdoches. Today, it has grown into a regional institution comprising six colleges — business, education, fine arts, forestry and agriculture, liberal and applied arts, and sciences and mathematics. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SFA enrolls approximately 11,000 students while providing the academic breadth of a state university with the personalized attention of a private school. The main campus encompasses 421 acres that include 37 academic facilities, nine residence halls, and 68 acres of recreational trails that wind through its six gardens. The university offers more than 80 bachelor’s degrees, more than 40 master’s degrees and four doctoral degrees covering more than 120 areas of study. Learn more at sfasu.edu.