Vote for Porch Prom Queen or King: Which Sacramento senior deserves the crown?

Students in the Sacramento area have missed out on key milestones. There likely won’t be any in-person graduation ceremonies. Spring sports were canceled. And, of course, lots of prom nights were upended by the coronavirus pandemic.

We can do a little something about that last one. Voting is open for The Sacramento Bee’s Porch Prom King or Queen. Get inspired by these kids’ stories and vote at the bottom of this story for who you think should be royalty. We’ll follow up with a photo shoot and a short story. This is meant as a fun way to give a high school senior a moment in the spotlight. Voting ends at noon Friday.

Brenna DeKreek

Vista del Lago High School

DeKreek has been active in the California-based National Charity League, which offers her a chance to give back to the community. The nonprofit connects students and mothers to volunteer opportunities. DeKreek, who was a varsity cheerleader, also spent time student teaching at Empire Oaks Elementary School before the coronavirus pandemic.

Tommy Roberts

Bradshaw Christian High School

This isn’t Roberts’ first prom. He volunteered with the Evening of Dreams, a special needs prom designed to celebrate students with a red carpet soiree. He also works as an International Student Ambassador, helping foreign exchange students learn about American culture. He’s also a tutor at the Bradshaw Christian Writing Center.

Haley Giblin

Liberty Ranch High School

Giblin is a success story. She’s 16 years old but she took extra classes online at community colleges and she’s graduating a year early this spring. But she says her school didn’t allow her to participate in senior activities because she’s supposed to be in her junior year. She’s close enough for our voting purposes, however. As Miss California Teen, Giblin is spending her lockdown time writing letters to members of the military to thank them for their work. She’s also writing letters to people in nursing homes to express support during the shutdown.

Mason Pangman

Whitney High School

Like many high school seniors, Pangman played sports and missed out on a chance to make waves on the track this spring. A 400-meter runner, Pangman ran a 1 minute, 5 second lap at the last timed event of the year for Whitney. She says she’s keeping a positive attitude and maintaining social distancing from her friends.

Madyson Noguchi

Vista Del Lago High School

Noguchi’s application says it all: “With the foundations of someone who grew up as being shy, I feel that I have developed into someone who has allowed my passions to guide me to my current endeavors. As student body president, a member of the varsity cheer team, a cheerleading instructor, and a National Charity League founding member to name a few, I have grown into someone who is not afraid to use her voice to advocate for change and make a difference.”

Lily Bonser

Foothill High School

In a lengthy (and well-written) application for Prom Queen, Bonser displayed both humor (she cites “Parks and Recreation” as an influence) and compassion, telling stories about protecting classmates from abuse at the hands of bullies. During the first week of quarantine, she gave away books and movies for people to watch and stay entertained. “When my school held Prom Royalty nominations, I wanted to try out for it but I quickly shut that dream down because there were a lot of other people that deserved it. But you never really know unless you try.”

Candice McDowell

El Dorado High School

McDowell has been in student government leadership for four years at El Dorado High. Yes, it means giving up free time over lunch to help with leadership. She organizes events that she says makes her campus a better place for all her peers. She’s also a varsity soccer player.