If there was one event that excited every high school senior, it would be Prom. Dancing with the friends that you spent these years of memorable adolescence with gives you a sense of pride and joy. 

For high school graduates, Prom was something uniquely special. The day everyone is excited for when it’s coming up, and the day everyone reminisces years after. Eric Debes was crowned 2022 Prom King, but what does that mean to him? 

“I feel excited!” Debes said. “I wasn’t planning on it, but my friends nominated me. From there, I just thought I would try because it would be cool if I won, but I wasn’t expecting to.” 

Many believe that being crowned Prom King or Prom Queen is everyone’s dream. The title definitely boosts your self-confidence, and many seniors believe that Prom gave them a sense of nostalgia, reminding them of Homecoming. 

“I feel like Prom is Homecoming, but for seniors,” Debes said. “I feel like it’s a time for people to hang out with their friends one last time before they graduate.” 

For underclassmen, Prom seems like a million years away. The event that everyone looks forward to will come eventually, but when it does, the memories of these four years flash between your eyes. 

“I will miss getting to see my friends in class and around school every day, since I know in college it’s a little harder to find times to meet with everyone,” Debes said. “I definitely think it was a memorable time, especially since it feels like last year was kind of wasted, with half of the school year being virtual.” 

Whether or not you believe it, high school years are the most important years of your life. They allow you to change enormously and learn from people and experiences. This one day forces you to look back on those years and leave with pictures, tears, and maybe even a crown. 

“My favorite thing about Prom was catching up with the people I haven’t talked to since middle school or freshman year,” Debes said. “I was looking forward to hanging out with everyone and seeing people I haven’t seen in a while.” 

Running for Prom King gives you a sense of excitement, but ideally, winning the title and wearing the crown allows you to gain recognition from students and graduate with a bang.