At Prior Lake High School, prom is a much anticipated event for many students. It is a tradition that has taken place for years in most American high schools. Beyond being an American tradition, it is also the dream of many teenagers from all over the world. 

For Júlia Maynou, an exchange student from Barcelona, Spain, prom will be a special night.

“Prom is like a movie for me. It is a dream that I can’t wait to become reality,” Júlia said. 

 Prom is a whole new experience for this sixteen-year-old girl, especially since it is such a departure from her home country. 

“We don’t have prom, but I would love to have something similar to prom in my country,” Júlia said. “My expectations are really high. I hope it will be a big dance, with a lot of people and a lot of fun.”

Besides simply being a dance, prom is also a highly anticipated event for many teenagers. They get to spend time with their friends, go out to dinner, and take pictures. 

“I am really excited to get dressed, get ready and take pictures with all of my friends,” Júlia said. “Prom is a day full of preparation, and I am excited to do everything before the actual dance.”

To make this dream come true, Prior Lake High School needs the help of Mrs. Rydell, a 12th grade economics teacher and senior class supervisor. Mrs. Rydell is also one of the main organizers of prom. For her, it was an easy choice to chaperon prom.  

“I took on the senior class advisement to do prom. I have been working here for the last 15 years, and I have been chaperoning every single year,” Mrs. Rydell said.

This night requires a lot of the organizers. Mrs. Rydell is the one in charge of planning everything from finding the right place, to picking the right date, to helping maintain safety and security for students. 

“Our prom is at the Depot in downtown Minneapolis,” Mrs. Rydell said. “We moved there a couple years ago to make sure it was large enough to have as many students as possible. We will provide busses for any student that doesn’t want to drive into downtown.” 

For her, prom is a special and important night and a moment that many students look forward to going to. 

“It is special because it is off site, and it is a chance for students to be much fancier than homecoming,” Mrs. Rydell said. “It tends to be close to the end of the school year. Especially for seniors, I think it’s one last chance for them to celebrate in a really fancy way and feel proud of everything they have done.”

Prom provides a chance for students to come together and have a good time. 

“I love being at the dance, talking to my students, seeing them dress up, seeing them dance and having fun,” Mrs. Rydell said. “Last year was the first year we started to have some of the elementary teachers coming, so it was cool for the students who have not seen these teachers for 5 or 6 years.”

As prom is coming up soon on Saturday, May 4th, Mrs. Rydell is ready to spend time with her students and have fun. Júlia is also getting excited to experience prom and to celebrate her life as an American student one more time. 

Prom Flyer: https://www.vancoevents.com/us/events/landing/41946