Talk about a senior prom.
The concept of a senior prom goes back generations, but students at La Jolla Country Day School changed things up May 28 when they organized a prom-like event for residents of the Belmont Village La Jolla senior-living facility.
“La Jolla Country Day School is only five minutes from here, so we see Belmont Village as our neighbors,” said Christina Zupanc, La Jolla Country Day’s leader of service learning and community engagement. “The students had the idea to host a prom for the residents here as a way to bring the community together.”
The event, featuring all the prom must-haves such as a band, refreshments, dancing and the crowning of a king and queen, was held in one of Belmont Village’s gathering rooms along Nobel Drive.
“This felt like a great chance to give the seniors the opportunity to reminisce about their childhood and what we’re experiencing in life now,” said La Jolla Country Day sophomore Sua Nankung. “I wanted to give them a fun event. I love seeing them all dressed up and talking to each other and reflecting on their lives and their youth.”
Junior Angela Xie said “I love connecting with seniors; they have a lot of untold stories, and it’s important for younger generations to learn from them. They have so much knowledge they want to share, and I want to have these conversations and share their stories.”
“I hope this day will bring them a lot of good memories,” she added. “Prom is so important for us and we love getting all dressed up, and I hope today can be an enjoyable day for them.”
It was for Belmont Village resident Norm Cohn, who said: “This is a facility for older people, so when they do things like this, it makes us feel young again. I think that’s a great thing. … To have a bunch of young people … come out and do this for us is really cool.” ◆
