Giving the Glam Brings Prom Magic to Local High School Students
For most high school students, prom is an exciting rite of passage. New dresses, rented tuxedos, hair appointments and flowers transform teenagers into glamorous young adults for their special nights. Unfortunately, for some students and their families, prom season can be stressful. Expenses add up quickly, and with tight budgets, ev
en attending the prom is often not an option. Giving the Glam is making prom a reality for some deserving local students. By providing dresses, accessories, hair, makeup and nails for the girls, and tuxedo rentals, haircuts and accessories for the boys, the organization magically makes the dream of going to prom come true. Giving the Glam founder, Maristela Rapo, sites her own humble beginnings as her inspiration for starting the charity. “I grew up with very little, so I really appreciated it whenever someone would do something to make me feel special. Now it’s my turn to give back by making each of these hard-working students feel like a movie star for a night.” In 2014, just one student was selected for a prom makeover, in 2015, the number jumped to twenty, and this year Giving the Glam is playing fairy-godmother to thirty-four girls and thirteen boys. Each of the selected students is showered with personal attention. In the months before the prom, the girls are individually taken to New York Lace in Taunton for up to four hours of dress selection. As proms approach, small groups are picked up by limo and shuttled to alteration sessions. Finally, on their prom day, the students are brought to a local hotel to be carefully coiffed by Maristela and her extensive team of beauty specialists before being professionally photographed and heading out for their big night. The goal of Giving the Glam is not only to help high school students afford to go to their proms, but also to inspire confidence and self-worth in young men and women as they mature and head out into the world. As one student explained, “To get complements like ‘You look like a princess from a Disney movie’ or ‘Oh my God, I didn’t even recognize you!’ or simply, ‘You’re beautiful’ was not only nice to hear, but also empowering. It made me feel a new confidence in myself that I never knew I could feel. That is exactly how I felt on my prom night and how I still feel today.”
