by Lois Jamieson
Five years ago, my good friend, Punky Rowe and I, invited the high school girls at StarShine to join us in a Fashion/Etiquette Class. Many girls repeated the class for several years. We considered it such a privilege to get to know these girls. Each year new young ladies joined us. I think they learned a lot about fashion and grew polished in etiquette. I know we learned a lot from them.
Two girls stand out in my mind. They were Yobana and Alejandra, both as lovely as their names. They were the first graduates in our class. Three years ago they received their high school diplomas.
Before the ceremony, at the beautiful T-Gen Building in central Phoenix, I visited with them. I stopped by just to see if they needed anything - like hairpins, safety pins or hugs. Everything was under control and as a bonus I got to hug all the graduates.
I was so proud of Yobana and Alejandra when they walked down the aisle. After meeting with them, once a week for several years, I felt they were like family. After the ceremony both girls greeted me with hugs and Alejandra took me off to meet her mother. This was such a special moment for me, but also bittersweet, because I didn’t know when or how I would see them again.
Through the five years of teaching the class we have known some very special young women. We loved them all.
If you enjoyed this story, you’ll want to read: Fashion Club Girls Go To Ritz Carlton
