To be royalty for a night is the dream many teenagers aspire to achieve. It is the experience of a lifetime to be crowned king or queen in front of peers and to be the center of attention as one dances around the room. The day finally comes to run as a candidate for prom royalty and it is time to face the challenge.

The pressure, however, did not faze the competition as they used artful and creative campaigns to win over the votes of their peers.

“I have a message to give and I am going to give it because this message is not for me. It is for every single person out there. We are flowers and I want to lift not only myself but them. You are worth it,” senior candidate Mildred Muro said.

Some believe that winning comes from who the person truly is and what they stand for.

“I think every single queen is either a dancer, a cheerleader or a well-known person. I just want to put it out there that you don’t have to be any of these things to win,” senior candidate Alidd Ramirez-Mendoza said.

Others want to spread a message and a feeling, to break through the stereotypes and achieve understanding.

“Personally, I don’t like the idea of prom king or queen. I want it to be something different not something popular. I believe that anyone can do anything,” senior candidate Chris Moreno said.

The pressure to win is non-existent with these candidates. Although, as suave and cool as they may seem it takes vigorous determination to gain the courage to run for court.

“It’s taken me quite a lot of effort to get out of my comfort zone. First I was too afraid to talk to anyone but flash forward four years and now I’m running for prom king. That’s crazy,” senior candidate Bryan Delgado said.

To be crowned king or queen is not the motive for these candidates. The true reason for running may vary but the message stays the same. They want to spark hope for their peers.