Wednesday, February 11 was the day that sparked hope in the eyes of John Dewey High School seniors.
A scavenger hunt, hosted by Senior Advisor Mrs. Escalera from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm, provided students with an opportunity to reduce the financial constraint that prom can pose for seniors, as the winner receives a free ticket to this years prom.
“It’s like a time to just put aside our worries and enjoy time, the life and the party, the everything—gathered around your loved ones one last time before graduation,” said senior Alex Campos, a participant in this year’s scavenger hunt.
However, before seniors get to indulge in breaking it down on the dance floor, registration has to be taken care of first. On top of worrying about college applications and other senior events, such as the senior trip and graduation pricing over $100, prom alone at John Dewey High School costs $225.
Seniors knew then that they had the option of turning to the prom scavenger hunt to lessen their worries. “Tickets are expensive, so it gives students the opportunity—we always try to credit them as much as we can with the idea of allowing the kids to fight for their ticket, which would help them or help get their prom date to come,” Special Education Secretary Ms. Doceti said.
This can be overwhelming for students, especially those without access to many financial resources.
“I think the price really got me, and you would have to pay for me and my brother’s prom ticket, so that’s really costly itself,” said senior Nomena Randrianarison, who’s spirits were lifted upon hearing news of the scavenger hunt.
Once 3 o’clock hit, a stampede of seniors flooded the first floor hallways.
Every time you turn, you catch upperclassmen running around as if they were playing tag in elementary school with “that excitement in their eyes,” as Mrs. Escalera described the scene.
“I felt like I had to run everywhere because everyone was doing the same thing. They were so eager to get this ticket, and it was showing,” Randrianarison explained.
Despite the tricky riddles given on a sheet of paper, such as “A burst of creative spark, through a portal in the dark. Travel to the world outside, secrets in the mural hide,” that didn’t stop one particular student from ending the event in about thirty minutes.
Zixuan Li, a senior who was inspired to join the hunt to spend time with her friends, was announced as the winner for this year’s prom scavenger hunt.
“I’m so honored to win this scavenger hunt,” Li said.
“I sat down, and I looked at the riddles, and tried to solve each one by one—I wrote down the classroom numbers so it would be more convenient for me,” Li revealed as her secret to winning.
Having won the scavenger hunt, she will turn her attention to the dress and glam she’ll bring to the party.
Seniors still have opportunities to reduce the cost of potential prom wear.
The upcoming Brooklyn Prom Project 2026 Prom Wear Giveaway will be held on March 15 at the Barclays Center from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm for young men and women interested in finding free suits or dresses, as well as footwear.
Chocolate boxes from World’s Finest Chocolate are still available via Mrs. Escalera to save up for any senior event in need of funds.
Prom isn’t just for dress up, but a moment that can never be replaced. “It’s the last event. There’s some people that you won’t ever see again; you’ll only have that memory, and think to yourself: oh, that was fun,” Mrs. Escalera said.