by Jim Boyle
Editor
Brandon Wright, an 18-year-old Zimmerman man, became Ivan Sand Community High School’s first prom king this past Saturday.
Wyatt Dielke and Hanna Stuedemann were among the Ivan Sand Community High School students to take part in the alternative high school’s first prom. The “Red Carpet Evening” started with a grand march at the Elk River High School Little Theatre and moved over to Ivan Sand for a catered meal and dance.
It’s fitting he was crowned, since it was the alternative high school student’s idea for the school to host its first prom and he did a lot of the legwork to make the event a success.
“The students at Ivan Sand are hard workers and good kids,” he said. “They deserve to have a prom, too.”
Wright was supposed to go to his junior prom last spring as a student at Zimmerman High School, but it didn’t work out.
When the Ivan Sand Community High School student heard his girlfriend Marissa Parker talking this year about her prom last spring, he began to push for one at Ivan Sand.
“My girlfriend talked all the time about going to her prom and how much fun it was,” Wright said. “I wanted that experience.”
He started by approaching special education assistant Karra Neseth-Djubek and teacher Joy Knoblach about the idea.
He followed it up with petitions garnering 70-some signatures from students who expressed either an interest in having a prom or at least the option of a prom and another dozen from teachers who said they would be willing to help.
Wright got the green light from Principal Tom Hoffman and a prom committee was formed. Michelle Risting, Carol Sullivan, Knoblach and Rebecca Hagen were led by Neseth-Djubek.
The challenge for the group is this was two months ago. Neseth-Djubek handed Wright a prom planning guide that outlined a nine-month process.
“At nine months you should do this, at six months you should be doing this, at three months you should do this,” Wright said. “OK, we’ve got like seven weeks to do all of this.”
At times, Wright thought Neseth-Djubek and the other adults at the school were against him.
“I was the voice of reason,” Neseth-Djubek said. “If you’re going to do this, you have to have a plan.”
Once a budget was developed, a decision was made to sell tickets at $40 apiece and set a deadline to see if there was enough interest. There was interest, but the price was too steep.
Karina Ostrander was about to be crowned prom queen by Ivan Sand Community High School teacher Cheryl Netka at an April 30 grand march before the alternative high school’s first prom.
That’s when a dejected Neseth-Djubek told Zimmerman Bar and Grill owner Sean Dielke, who had agreed to cater the event at a discount, that it wasn’t going to work out.
“He said, ‘You’re going to have a prom,’” Neseth-Djubek recalled. “‘I’ll cater it for free.’”
Others began to step up, too. Ticket prices were reduced to $10 and they began to sell.
To keep costs down, prom and the catered dinner were held at Ivan Sand Community High School. The school district provided the tables and chairs.
A parent with a catering service provided the linens. A hair stylist came to the school and did a Prom Hair 101 session with the girls. And efforts to line up suits, tuxedos and dresses began.
“We weren’t very successful with the tuxes, but it was a journey with the dresses,” Neseth-Djubek said. “We collected more than 40 gowns and gave away 18 dresses, including one on the day of the prom.”
A mom who lost her daughter a few years ago in an auto accident gave two gowns. A woman whose brother graduated from Ivan Sand felt compelled to donate four prom dresses.
“I was meeting people in parking lots and collecting dresses,” Neseth-Djubek said. “Every day I came in with a dress. It was an honor and an emotional journey. That alone was beautiful.”
School staff and students spent the week of prom decorating the school’s gymnasium.
“Everyone in this building helped,” Neseth-Djubek said. “The students were on board and it was very fun.”
It was quite a team-building exercise.
“There were a lot of lessons,” Neseth-Djubek said. “Some of these kids raise themselves. They didn’t know about corsages or alterations. We had teachers doing alterations.”
Neseth-Djubek said it was important to her to make the event happen because she loves the kids who attend Ivan Sand. She also believes they deserve to have a prom as much as the next high school.
“I believe in traditions, and they should have traditions,” she said. “We all learn from our traditions and they’re something you pass on. If they don’t have a prom to go to, they wouldn’t have something to pass onto their kids.
The grand march was at the Elk River High School Little Theater.
Wright was crowned prom king and Karina Ostrander was crowned prom queen.
About 70 students went to the prom. Some went as couples. Some went as friends. And some went alone and met up with their classmates. They went to have fun and make memories.
“I could never say how thankful we are to staff that made this happen,” student Connor Hass said.
Hanna Stuedemann, who attended prom with Wyatt Dielke, said it meant that students could get together in a way they never do and celebrate what they do every day at Ivan Sand.
“Every moment was memorable,” she said. “It was our first prom and we were pioneers of Ivan Sand.”
Wright got to do his first slow dances of his life. His girlfriend cried on their first slow dance.
“It was a great night,” he said.