For many, graduating from secondary school is a rite of passage, the first real step into adulthood.
It’s the culmination of years of hard work, sleepless nights and sacrifices. However, even after all the exams and stress comes the additional financial sacrifice of affording the ever-popular graduation ball.
Despite the hefty price tag surrounding this event, founder of non-governmental organisation Yes She Can, Roberta Rose-Collins, thinks experiencing it is an integral part of growing up.
“It’s an extra luxury, but it’s a milestone event and it’s something that the students, we believe every student should get to attend their secondary school or high school grad,” she said.
Considering this, Royalty for a Night, a charitable project managed by the NGO, was launched.
Rose-Collins, 51, and several volunteers founded the NGO in 2017 with the intention of providing some financial reprieve to parents/guardians, as well as some extra joy to students who wished to attend their graduation but did not have the necessary funds. Through their foundation, secondary school graduates can access donated clothing, accessories and graduation-related services free of charge.
For the past few years, Rose-Collins and her team have held collection drives throughout the country, where people could donate items of good quality to be distributed to those who needed assistance.
“So how it starts, we start in April with a collection drive, so during the months of April and May, islandwide we have spaces, business places open up to allow the general public to drop off their contributions. So, April and May we had six locations open to the general public allowing persons to come and drop their suits, their dresses, accessories, whatever they wanted to contribute to the project,” Rose-Collins said.
She said she too experienced the possible heartache of not being able to attend her graduation ball, which was the catalyst behind the foundation.
“The passion behind it it is my own personal story. I know what it feels like, my parents could not afford it to send me to my grad and my aunt stepped in and that’s how I was able to go to my ball. So, I got from head-to-toe all dolled up and dandied up and I got the outfit that I wanted and yeah, that’s what allowed for me to attend my grad.”
Despite the magnificence of the night though, she could not deny everything came at a cost which is often too much for some.
“Graduation is so expensive. I heard some people saying something in the cost of like $700 for a ticket and that’s just to go to the ball. You still have to get your dress, and your shoes and your makeup and your hair and your nails. It’s a big ticket item and so we are really honoured to be able to help parents cut that cost a little bit through this project.”
According to the Central Statistical Office’s 2022 survey, the average salary for middle-income families in T&T ranges between $7,500 to $8,000 per month.
Now let us look at the average cost of preparing someone to attend their graduation. For a female, there are requirements such as a dress that can range anywhere between $1,500 to $2,500 and counting, a full face of makeup and a trendy updo which would put one back by about $500 each, depending on how elaborate it is. One cannot forget shoes, accessories and, of course, a fresh set of nails, which can easily add another $1,000 to the tally.
While boys are a bit cheaper to clothe, most affordable suits range between $900 to about $1,500, and shoes, jewellery and a haircut must be accounted for. There is also the cost of the graduation ticket, which can set you back by anywhere between $250 to $650. When you do the math, for a girl, it costs close to $4,500 and around $2,500 for a boy.
With an average salary of $8,000, coupled with bills and the general cost of living, it simply is not feasible or even possible for most parents to afford this night of opulence.
Through Rose-Collins’ NGO, parents and students get the chance to partake in this landmark experience for a minimal cost.
Bubbling with a sense of accomplishment, she revealed that the service they provide is “100 per cent free.”
“Parents are always, as you can imagine, very grateful for the support because it comes out of their pockets and like I said it’s a lot.”
In addition to this, the founder said, they have partnered with other service providers so students can access additional accoutrements. “We do also have barbers, nail techs, hairdressers, who donate services, so when a student comes they have the opportunity to get those services as well. Everything is 100 per cent donated and free of charge to the students.”
She acknowledged that asking for help might be hard for some. Due to this, they try to make the process as smooth and unintrusive as possible.
“We believe that once the student presents themselves here to us, it’s because they are in need, so all we ask is that they bring their examination timetable to show that they are indeed a secondary school graduate for this year and that’s it, they have access to everything through that.”
She said most times, students who receive help always return the favour to others.
“We have students who come back and want to volunteer and that for me speaks volumes as to how much they appreciate what they would have received. You have students who say they will dry clean what they wore and bring it back so that somebody else can have that experience and for me that speaks volumes, and it shares the fact that they are truly appreciative, and they understand the value of what we do.”
Despite the difficulties associated with the project, she said the utter joy she sees reflected on those who receive this once-in-a-lifetime chance makes it worth it.
“Honestly, the smiles on their faces when they find something, you know the stories that we hear from parents and students who say if we weren’t here they absolutely will not have been able to attend their graduation is everything to me and it really continues to fuel the drive. This is not an easy project to pull off and we do it in three different locations during the month of June.”
At the distribution event last Sunday, Guardian Media spoke with 2023 Miss Universe delegate for Port-of-Spain, Kathy-Ann Scantlebury, who volunteered her services and even donated a few pieces to the cause.
She disclosed that she gained a sense of contentment from, “seeing the girls come in, and they could be a bit shy ... by the time you select a dress for them, seeing the before and after when they find something that truly is meeting what they envision for themselves.”
According to Scantlebury, seeing the students leave with their clothing brings about a sense of joy and gratification.
“That is ultimately the goal of the initiative, to help not only boost their self-confidence but leave them feeling fulfilled because when you look at what a graduation night is about, it’s ultimately your biggest night of high school. Some parents are able to afford it and give you the grand ballroom effect, Cinderella effect but not everybody is able to afford that. And this initiative truly helps bridge that gap.”
In 2023, Royalty for a Night was able to help 700 students experience a night of wonder through their charitable actions. This year, with three drives in select locations of Gulf View Community Centre, Cascade Community Centre and Duranta Gardens Community Centre in Sangre Grande, Rose-Collins’ only hope was to help as much as possible.
SCHOOL*GRADUATION TICKET PRICE
Debe Secondary School - $300
Parvati Girls’ Hindu College - $250
Barrackpore West Secondary - $300
Couva West Secondary - $450
Gasparillo Secondary - $250
Naparima College - $300
Hillview College - $650
Barataria South Secondary - $400