This past Saturday, MWHS Student Senate put on another incredible prom. The festivities started with the Grand March in the MWHS Gymnasium with dinner and dance at Lafayette Club immediately following. In my 20+ years of supervising prom, I have not been more proud of our students than I was on this particular Saturday.
Why? Simply put: Our students are always so respectful of the people and property around them. It was so refreshing to hear one of the Lafayette Club staff members say to another, “I can’t believe how many students are saying thank you!” What is so nice about that is they get to see what I see all the time in and out of school. Our students shine in some of the most respectful ways.
But what made the 2017 Prom even more special was the desire of our seniors to include two students with special needs on the Prom Court. I had the chance to talk to Nate Ogreen and Sienna Hackbarth after they were announced for Court. They were ecstatic! And so humble. Nate wanted to make sure everyone around him knew how grateful he was that his own classmates voted him to be on Prom Court. They both accepted this honor with grace and humility.
What they didn’t know was that the juniors and seniors were then planning to vote them in as King and Queen! They would have never predicted something like that. They were so honored to simply be named a Court member. I will never forget the moment. The ladies opened their reveal cards first and Sienna had won! All of the ladies surrounded her and gave the most emotional group hug that I have ever seen at a Grand March. The gentlemen opened their cards next to reveal Nate had also won! The look on Nate’s face was one of sheer disbelief combined with utter joy. Priceless.
WCCO heard of this possible story and came out to catch the moment on film. And I am so glad they did. The close-up of Nate’s face, followed by his and Sienna’s comments to the reporter were moments that would cause any eye to be filled with emotion. As a parent of a special needs child myself, I felt the emotion of two students, their parents, and the staff who work with them personally. And then my attention quickly turned to the students who saw their abilities, and not their disabilities, as they rallied to have them be THEIR King and Queen.
When I list my “most proud” moments as an Assistant Principal, the 2017 Prom will be right there at the top with the best of them! Way to go, students. You got it right!
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| Sienna & Nate |
(If you want to see the WCCO story, please check it out here.)
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| WCCO coverage |
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