Decked out in fancy party attire, 26 students, along with their families and iHOPE staff, attended the school's prom last Friday. The virtual event celebrated the resilient community as they ended a pandemic school year with some fun.  

The prom, organized by the Occupational Therapy department for the older students, aims to give students the same special high school experience as other teenagers have.  

The virtual celebration started off with a slideshow of all the attendees and each student made their grand entrance with their physical therapist to a song of their choice. Because of COVID restrictions, paraprofessionals helped their students do hair and makeup for the big day. Moreover, dresses and suits were donated to those students who don’t have the means to buy one.  

“When we do a virtual prom like this, families get involved and see how much progress the students have made,” said Amanda Rubin, an Occupational Therapist at iHOPE. “Especially during their entrances, parents can see how much progress their kids have made with their functional mobility.” 

The night included Bingo games and  New York-related trivia that students participated in using their Augmentative and Alternative Communication devices. Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ smash hit “Empire State of Mind” was the most requested song and anthem of the night as students with their prom dates and friends were spotlighted via Zoom during the celebration.   

 “It was very special and moving to see all the students come together and the prom just represented the whole year and how iHOPE came together to pull off the school year,” said Rubin.