Red Carpet Affair at Woodlawn High School, Baltimore County

Jamel Jernigan, principal at Woodlawn High School, still has the dress she purchased for the prom that was canceled by the pandemic in 2020.

For this year’s comeback prom festivities, she had a new dress ready — a floor-length, sequined black gown. She had to get something to match the “Red Carpet Affair” prom theme.

“It’s more than what they’re used to seeing me in — a blazer and a blouse and a skirt or a pantsuit,” Jernigan said. “So the kids should be amused as well.”

Jernigan — like her students — hasn’t been able to experience a Woodlawn prom since 2019. After years without the high school milestone, she and her fellow educators are eager to attend prom and see their students decked out in Hollywood glam.

“As principal, I do a lot of dealing with the problems on our campus, the problems within our school community and resolving problems,” Jernigan said. “But for me, prom is one of the times where we can just go and have a good time with students. It is just like the kids can let their hair down and have fun — and myself and my team can do that as well.”

Staff members worked to make sure the prom experience is accessible to all students. Yalonda Booker, senior assistant principal, came up with the idea of a bus to take

students to the event, which took place May 14 at Martin’s Westminster.

Booker said the transportation option moved some parents, who originally didn’t plan to get a limo, to book a stretch.

“COVID was such an eye-opener to us,” said Aisia Lambert, the Woodlawn senior in charge of prom planning. “We’ve realized we shouldn’t take things for granted all the time because they can be gone in a snap.”