They Missed High School Prom
Saturday, March 4th, a little over forty college students came together to celebrate the prom night they never had. One of the students attending TAB Sunday Lunch, a weekly lunch where students meet with mentors to get a home-cooked meal from the ALMS kitchen and engage in conversation, asked, "Would it be okay if we had a charity ball here? The money we raise from the tickets would go to ALMS." She went on to say that many of the students had missed proms due to the pandemic. "It's good to dance and have a reason to dress up," she said.
For the high school senior class, prom night symbolizes four years of learning, friendship, and school spirit, and it's frequently the last time friends will have this experience before graduation. But many did not have that final opportunity. So why would college students who missed their prom a couple of years ago want another chance to celebrate?
Getting dressed up for prom marks the day of stepping into adulthood, indicating that the teen is now graduating to another stage. Prom is a unique way to celebrate this transition. College life without this celebration has felt, for many, socially premature. We met students from as far away as Martinez to Elk Grove, joining their Davis friends for their missed high school prom.
ALMS loves providing social events for Yolo youth. But I was also very impressed that they wanted to give back to the community that serves them.
Homemade mac and cheese, meatballs, fresh cookies right out of the oven, and some help from Costco made this evening fun and delicious. We could hear the students around the food table, "Oh, man, this is so good!"
Going to college is hard. But ALMS can help by providing social and emotional support to develop positive memories, mentors, and a safe place to be themselves.
You are doing it with your giving! ALMS is making a difference with your help. Together, we are changing the trajectory of every young person we touch.
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