When Your High School Prom Doesn’t Happen, Make Your Own

The prom is not happening this year, at least not the traditional prom, but that did not stop these two Elgin high school seniors from enjoying their own personal version of prom. The prom for these two Oklahoma seniors had been scheduled for April 25, and was, of course, cancelled. But, when Hunter Malloy heard that his friend Alissa had already purchased her prom dress he decided that he had to do something to help her enjoy dressing up and wearing it, despite the cancelled prom.

@hpphotography.storyteller

So, he suggested that they participate in their own personal prom. Hunter picked Alissa up at her home complying at all times with the requisite 6-foot social distance requirements. Hunter and Alissa wore masks. And there was dad at the ready with his can of Lysol. 

@hpphotography.storyteller

The couple enjoyed “Olive Garden to-go at the football stadium where Hunter played football and Alissa played soccer and back in the fall, & they were crowned Homecoming Queen and King together.”

@hpphotography.storyteller

After dinner, the couple drove separately in a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air borrowed from Hunter’s next-door neighbor and a 2002 Corvette, also borrowed. They met up in front of the high school for their own dancing session under the “twinkling lights.”

@hpphotography.storyteller

The photographer, Heidi Pumphrey from HP Photography :: Oklahoma Family Photographer & Storyteller, who was initially hired by Alyssa’s mom to take prom photos tells Grown and Flown that when the schools closed, she kept the date in her calendar with the thought that maybe Alyssa would take some shots of herself in her dress. 

Then Pumphrey and Hunter came up with this scenario and Heidi tells Grown and Flown that,

The best part was seeing their smiling faces throughout the evening. This ending of their senior year has been rough, but on this night, they made memories for a lifetime- in their own way. These seniors are creative, innovative, resilient and they will move mountains one day.

Thank you to @hpphotography.storyteller and Photographer Heidi Pumphrey with HP Photography :: Oklahoma Family Photographer and Storyteller for so generously sharing these photos with us.

More to Read:

Great Graduation Gift List for 2020 Grads

Quarantined With Bored Teens: Virtual Volunteer Opportunities

About Helene Wingens

Helene Wingens has always been passionate about painting pictures with words. She graduated from Brandeis University with a degree in psychology and three years later from Boston University School of Law with a Juris Doctor. In a year long clerkship for an appellate judge Helene honed her writing skills by drafting weekly appellate memoranda. She practiced law until she practically perfected it and after taking a brief twenty year hiatus to raise her three children she began writing a personal blog Her essays have been published in: Scary Mommy, Kveller, The Forward, and Grown and Flown where she is Managing Editor. You can visit Helene's website here

Read more posts by Helene

Don't miss out!
Want more like this? Get updates about parenting teens and young adults straight to your inbox.