High school students organize their own prom

By Erin Hassanzadeh

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    MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — The graduating class of 2021 has overcome a lot to make it to the finish line.

But when some students at Roseville Area High School found out a normal senior prom wasn’t happening, they got creative.

“I never knew how much I would take a regular school day for granted,” senior Brooke Green said.

It wasn’t a typical senior year, or junior year for that matter.

“There’s just a lot of getting our hopes up too soon and then just being let down over and over again,” senior Ricky Weber said.

“Honestly, it’s just been like we’re trying to figure out what’s gonna come next, what’s gonna happen,” senior Jomi Omoya said.

After missing out on in-person classes, sporting events, senior homecoming and all the little things in between, these seniors didn’t want to skip one last thing. When they found out there wouldn’t be a traditional senior prom, one of the parents asked: “Why not do it ourselves?”

“It wasn’t just us that wanted our prom, but it was like our teachers, our parents, like so many people in the community that were like, ‘We’re going to do this for you guys,’” Omoya said.

“And I was like, ‘Oh, OK, maybe we could actually make this happen,’ and then here we are,” Weber said.

They made it happen. Their prom, which is unaffiliated with the school, will be at CHS Field in St. Paul — complete with a grand march around the bases and a dance party on the concourse. It will be the first time in more than a year their class will all have the opportunity to be together.

“Since prom was announced, like all my friends were like, ‘OK, now I gotta get vaccinated so I feel safe at this prom,” Omoya said.

The seniors all get a plus one, and they’ll follow CHS Field protocols. Parents have volunteered to chaperone, local DJs are doing the gig for free, and donations from people across the community have been so generous that the prom will be free.

“Everybody stepped up and did their part,” Weber said.

They may not have memories from a junior prom or a senior football game in the stands, but they will have this to look back on: The class of 2021 ending on a high note.

“My dress is my dress that I ordered for junior prom and I never got to wear,” Green said. “I’ll definitely remember the fact that we planned our own prom [laughs]!”

“COVID made you realize and appreciate the little things so much more, and then for us to put together a whole prom is just a big thing,” Weber said.

The students will have an in-person graduation ceremony in staggered shifts on Saturday before the event.

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