For upperclassmen in American high schools, spring is more accurately described as “prom season.” For girls especially, prom is the pinnacle of high-school events, as highly anticipated and likely more carefully prepared for than graduation. Hair, nails, makeup: all serve as accessories to “the dress.” It’s unfortunate then, to learn that many local young girls cannot afford the gown of their dreams.
Enter Walethia Aquil, a local entrepreneur and etiquette guru whom we met in the October issue of MCM, who plays Fairy Godmother to these young women. While she has no wand to wave, Walethia works her magic through a charitable organization of her own making, called My Dreams Do Come True. Born from the memories of a prom date that was nothing short of traumatic, Walethia began My Dreams Do Come True for young women who can relate to her story. “I was crippled by shyness throughout my entire youth, and at my high school, it was imperative that you attend the prom with a date,” she recalled. “I remember I was the last girl to be asked to prom, and I saved up every dime I could find to buy my dress.” She remembers the agony of going to dinner at a restaurant before the dance. “My family was too poor to ever dine out,” she said, “and so when I got to the restaurant and saw all of the tableware and fancy menu choices, I was so disconcerted that I couldn’t eat.”
While Walethia was able to purchase a dress, she knows that many young women today cannot. Today, she works to make fairy tales come true by giving many girls an opportunity to wear a beautiful dress. “It’s all about giving the girls confidence,” said Walethia passionately, “and every woman knows that a gorgeous outfit can do that. When the girls view themselves in the mirror, the transformation of their self-image is powerful to watch.” Walethia says that the effort to instill confidence in young ladies would be fruitless if the dresses she offered were of low quality, so the munificent Fairy Godmother inspects every dress herself to ensure they are like new. Her sparkling new space on S. Saginaw Street also provides an upscale boutique-shopping experience that young ladies are not likely to forget. “I want them to enjoy the whole experience, and never feel ashamed or embarrassed,” said Walethia. The result of her forethought and attention to detail has been moving. “I had no idea when I began this enterprise that it would be so impactful,” said Walethia, “and as the word gets out, my dream to elevate young ladies who are starved of self-esteem will come true as theirs do.”
PHOTOS BY MICHAEL GLEASON
