Delivering a right of passage
Chavez, a mother of two special-needs students, puts together prom that has grown in popularity
Angelique Chavez is already thinking about prom. The springtime gala she organized last year was a big hit, drawing nearly 200 young people. The formal event had a Secret Garden theme, and the dance floor was filled with promgoers moving to the beats of a live band.
She hasn’t quite decided on a theme for the 2018 affair, still months away, but she thinks it might be “The Sweeter Things in Life.” She has begun buying decorations and storing them away, and making other preparations. There are so many details to work out: a venue, a caterer, music fit for dancing — whether with a band or a talented disc jockey.
There are other considerations for Chavez, as well, as she plans the event.
It requires an array of volunteers to assist the young guests. The venue must be wheelchair-accessible, and private bathrooms are a plus. The food must be labeled with a detailed list of ingredients to alert students and parents of anything that might cause an allergic reaction.
Chavez, whose friends call her “Ang,” is not an overly ambitious
high-schooler on the prom planning committee. Rather, she is the mother of two special-needs students at Capi-
tal High School. For the past three years, she has thrown a formal party designed to bring joy to youth with disabilities. The event has grown and expanded beyond the school. This year, invitations were extended to students and young adults from around the region. Chavez now is getting ready for prom No. 4.
Because of her dedication to giving local young people with special needs the experience of this decades-old right of passage, Chavez has been selected as one of The New Mexican’s 10 Who Made a Difference for 2017.
The effort began three years ago, when Chavez was speaking with some Capital High classmates of her teenage son, Jarred, and daughter, Savaughna, and asked if they planned to attend the prom. Like Jarred, who was born with hydrocephalus, and Savaughna, who has microcephaly, the teens were special-needs students. Some of them said they planned to attend the prom, but the resounding answer was no.
Despite efforts to include special-education students in mainstream classes and activities, Chavez’s kids and their friends didn’t always feel comfortable participating in some events. They wanted to sit out prom, they said, because they were embarrassed about their disabilities and were convinced that their special needs would not be accommodated.
For some of them, money also was an issue. And so was handling those details like hair and makeup that many able-bodied students take for granted.
Chavez said the discussion inspired her to organize a prom at Capital High for special-needs students, creating a safe zone where their needs would be met.
The first prom was a smallish affair, held during the day in the Capital High cafeteria and attended by some 30 students. The theme was “Under the Sea.”
Reaching out to the community through her Facebook page, where she has more than 500 followers, Chavez connected with volunteers who helped pull off the event by donating gowns and suits, cosmetics, decorations and entertainment. Parents loved the idea. Still, there were naysayers.
“The first year, I don’t think staff thought it would work,” Chavez said. “The second year, I wasn’t sure they were going to let us have the prom. We had to throw it together in two weeks.”
She ended up holding the second dance at the Nancy Rodriguez Community Center, where the Olive Garden restaurant catered food and drinks. Mixed martial arts fighter Brenda “Boom Boom”
Gonzales, who has a second life as a deejay, provided music for the kids, some of whom took to the dance floor in their wheelchairs. Many of the attendees donned 1920s-style garb for the event, which featured a Great Gatsby theme.
Gonzales was patient with the dancers, who sometimes wanted her to play a song five times in a row, Chavez said, and took time to sign autographs for her young fans.
The third extravaganza, in May, was Chavez’s largest affair. Attendees, ranging in age from 14 to 22, came from across Northern Mexico, including Pecos, Española, Moriarty and Pojoaque. The venue for The Secret Garden-themed dance was the Blaze Christian Fellowship.
Olive Garden once again provided Italian cuisine and beverages for the celebration.
“Every single seat was taken,” Chavez said. “We fed them and had a photo booth. Mothers and sons were dancing, dads and daughters. We had several handicapped-accessible bathrooms.”
Chavez’s friend Yvonne Encinias, who nominated her for the 10 Who Make a Difference honor, said, “Being the full-time caregiver to her two angels requires her full-time attention and dedication yet she is able to make time to help others.”
But Chavez said she couldn’t have pulled it off without her helpers. “My friends and family dedicate countless hours, gifts, talents and contributions to make this possible,” she said. “Without them, these events wouldn’t be as magical as they are.”
The results have been well worth the efforts, she said: “My kids had a blast, and that’s the reward.”