Sacramento has chosen its royalty: Bradshaw Christian senior named Porch Prom King
The envelope please: The Sacramento Bee’s first-ever Porch Prom King is Tommy Roberts of Bradshaw Christian High School.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, high schoolers throughout our area have missed out on big moments, not the least of which was prom. We asked for nominations, selected some favorites and asked the public to vote for their favorite. While Roberts came out on top, we offer a virtual elbow bump to all our high schoolers. Better times are ahead.
Roberts is in his senior year at Bradshaw Christian, and he has been a busy student. In addition to his own studies, Roberts is a tutor at the school’s writing center, where he helps students edit and proofread their papers. Roberts also applied and was accepted as an International Student Ambassador, helping exchange students integrate into the student body and introducing them to American culture. The program is part of the discipleship aspect of Bradshaw Christian’s curriculum.
If you ask Laurel Davis, Science Department head at Bradshaw Christian, she will tell you that Roberts is a great student and a good kid. Davis has been teaching Roberts for four years but has known his family for eight because of his older sister. Davis says he is “a very engaged student, and a friend to everybody. He always has a smile.”
Roberts was excited to attend his senior prom on April 18, but it was canceled like so many other high school activities.
“For prom, my girlfriend, friends, and I were going to take photos together and all go to the dance in a limo my family and I were planning to rent for the day,” he said. “After going to the dance, I was going to host an after party to end the night. It was a night I and all of my peers were looking forward to, and I hope to hold a makeup prom party once the shutdown has been lifted.”
The camaraderie of senior year is what Roberts misses most.
“I’m most disappointed in the fact that my peers and I won’t be able to finish out our journey through high school together; we won’t get our prom or end of school party, our graduation’s delayed, we won’t even get the chance to cram for our final exams and AP tests together in person.
“What’s been most surprising to me is how much I miss being back in class. My friends and I all couldn’t wait to see the school year done and over with, but now we’re all realizing how much of a blessing it was to be in a classroom setting with each other and with our teachers.”
Roberts has not missed out on the prom experience entirely. Last May, he volunteered with Evening of Dreams, a prom for special needs students. Volunteers are matched with a student for the evening to help everyone feel like a prom king or queen. The event includes a red carpet, photo booths, a dance and karaoke.
During this strange turn in his senior year, Roberts says one good thing that has come out of it is his ability to manage his time. He’s now able to better balance school work with spending time with family, including his older sister, who has come home with college classes moving online-only.
In the fall, Roberts plans to attend Grand Canyon University in Phoenix. He plans to major in biology and hopes to go into physical therapy.
This story was originally published April 30, 2020 at 4:00 AM.