During the second quarter, there was a prom dress drive. This senior project was an event taking place after school and during lunches throughout a six day period in which students were able to shop around in the library looking at prom dresses. The special thing about these dresses was that they were not for sale, they were for the taking. These dresses were completely free and meant to help any students in need.
Jessica Sheridan was the student behind the drive itself. As a senior, Jessica is ready for her prom and sees her classmates preparing for the dances and the prom season. She is extremely driven and focused on her future and spends her free time working, even if that means having to sacrifice athletics. “I used to play a lot of sports. However, now I work at Stop and Shop after school and on weekends. So all my extra time I spend there.”
Jessica is also extremely interested in fashion. The idea for her project came from her love of fashion and care for others and their struggles. “Originally I wanted a project that had to do with fashion. I then learned that we had some prom dresses stored in the back room of the library. Seeing all the dresses, just being wasted, made me want to hold a dress drive. I thought it was important to support the students who wanted to go to prom but couldn’t because of the cost of the dresses.”
It is safe to say that many were touched by the dress drive. As Jess explains, “…over 150 dresses were taken over the six days we held the event. I had a lot of happy students get dresses. One girl wore one of the dresses to her senior project event. But my favorite thing that happened was that another girl tried on a dress for the first time since she was a little girl and loved it. Her friends said she looked beautiful in it and the girl was very excited to show her family. Overall, this was an extremely successful project and I am very proud of what I accomplished.”
This senior project was impactful to so many people. It became more than just a senior project. It was more about making memories, people happy and about giving to others. Jessica Sheridan’s senior project was meant to inspire more students to take part in social events such as dances without having to worry about spending money on a dress. “My goal was for more students to attend social activities, like prom and homecoming, and not worry about the cost of a dress.”
It is safe to say that her goals were met. Not only did Jessica help others while focusing on a passion of hers, she also got to enjoy herself and see just how impactful her dress drive was on her classmates. “I enjoyed doing this a lot. It was overwhelming in the beginning. But sorting through the dresses, organizing them by size and style, and displaying them was well worth the effect when I saw how happy the students were because they got a prom dress.”
Jessica had the time of her life, learned many important lessons, impacted many of her classmates and did it all while staying true to her passion and what she loves. However, this project did not come without its challenges and struggles. “The biggest challenge was where to even start. We received over 400 articles of clothing. First, I had to sort through what dress was appropriate for a teen to wear to a dance versus what was more appropriate for a mom to wear to work. Then, they had to be sorted by size. I also needed to find lots of clothing racks to display the dresses. Another issue I had was where to hold the dress drive and when to hold it. Finally, I needed to figure out how to promote the drive so people would come.”.
Through the difficult parts of the drive, Jessica had two teachers she could rely on. “Mrs. Buffington was my mentor. She helped me sort through the dresses, decide on when and where to hold it, and she helped me to promote it. Mrs. Buffington also helped me during the actual drive too. Mrs. Ryder was another big help. She found several clothing racks in the CTC that I could use for this project.”
Though the process was difficult and challenges were faced, everything worked out for the better. Jessica’s project was more than just a project to the students at Toll Gate. The project impacted so many students and motivated them to attend dances and take part in the high school activities. This project is one that will stick with those people for the rest of their lives. When they look back on their prom and high school years and memories, they will remember Jessica and her dress drive. They will remember that they did not have to worry about an expensive dress when they had help from the school dress drive. The goal of a high school senior is to make an impact and leave a legacy. Jessica Sheridan can successfully say she has done just that.
