USCHS seniors volunteer at Friendship Village prom fashion show
June 1, 2023
USCHS seniors volunteer at Friendship Village prom fashion show
“There is a nostalgia around school proms that resonates with all generations,” Brooke Tarcson, USCHS head of activities, said. “It was heartwarming to hear the oohs and ahhs as each girl entered the room and to see our students interacting with the residents.”
Student volunteers included Olivia Fulton, Shivani Kamineni, Mansi Lathia, Claire Loomis, Reagan McGregor, Jocie Rullo, Ashvita Saxena, Lauren Starr and Yoshna Venkataraman.
The girls arrived at 2:15 p.m. to the health center where they were escorted into a makeshift dressing room. It was there that the girls changed into their prom dresses and touched up their makeup before hitting the runway at 2:45 p.m.
The Friendship Village staff decorated the event space with colorful paper flowers, decorative umbrellas and twinkle lights. The decorations worked to enhance the experience, allowing the residents to feel as if they were at a real fashion show.
When the show started, the girls walked down the runway one at a time as Liz Koenig, Friendship Village activities director, enthusiastically announced each student’s name, described the dresses and shared their future plans following graduation.
As the girls walked, the residents of Friendship Village were beaming with joy and excitement. They cheered and clapped for each girl and made sure to notice each dress.
USC student Olivia Fulton notes, “It was a really awesome experience. It was incredibly heartwarming to see how excited all of the residents were for each and every dress.”
Following the fashion show, the girls went around and spoke to each resident. This allowed for many of them to reminisce over their own senior proms.
When speaking with the residents, Ashvita Saxena found that watching them light up over the memories they cherish from prom night encouraged her to, “Enjoy the moment because a lot of them talked about their own prom and how they still remember it.”
The students enjoyed their time with the residents of Friendship Village.
“Our students were so thankful to have had the opportunity to participate in this volunteer effort,” Mrs. Tarcson said. “They genuinely enjoyed this intergenerational event.”
Article by USCHS senior Reagan McGregor
Reagan McGregor, a senior at Upper St. Clair High School, is currently completing a community-based learning experience in communications. She is a varsity cheerleader, a member of the high school’s Ski Club and a member of National Honor Society. Reagan plans to major in communications/journalism in college.
