Meet the real-life fairy godmother for local teens who can’t afford prom

For many students, prom is a rite of passage of their high school career before they’re sent off into the real world. 

The history of the celebration dates back to the early 1900s when the prom was actually a kind of counter-programming to the debutante balls and social activities that were typically reserved for wealthy students. Prom became its own gathering, available to virtually all American students.

Available, yes — but not affordable. Between dresses, tuxes, shoes, jewelry, makeup, corsages and boutonnieres, prom is increasingly out of reach for underserved students. It’s turning into what it was meant to replace.

That’s where this week’s nominee for the Joy Beat comes in. Giving the Glam is a nonprofit that provides financially challenged students with a full prom experience — including professional photos and a ride to the venue.   

Giving the Glam brings so many students the joy of finding confidence and building self-esteem, all while creating lasting memories. Maristela Rapo, founder and president of Giving the Glam and this week’s Joy Beat nominee, joined GBH’s All Things Considered host Arun Rath to discuss her passion for making students’ prom dreams a reality. What follows is a lightly edited transcript.

Arun Rath: Before we jump into Giving the Glam, tell us a little bit about your own story and how you became interested in fashion.

Maristela Rapo: Yes. I’m originally from Brazil — Rio de Janeiro. I left Brazil [when] I was 18 years old, and I lived in Denmark. You know, Europe is so connected; every two hours, you’re in a different country. I thought, “I love Italy.”

Eventually, I moved [to America] — fast forward, I moved here in 2000. I was in love with fashion and opened a high-end boutique called Wolford. They are well-known all around the world. And then [I opened] Giuseppe Zanotti at Copley Place in Boston and New York.

I sold Wolford back to the company, and I had to close Giuseppe — back to the [2008] recession time. I didn’t want to live in the suburbs, you know, doing nothing. Then I said, “You know, I need to use a little bit [of] what I know best — that’s fashion — to make a difference.”

Fast forward four kids later, my daughter Alexis made a small introduction between me and the METCO director from Dover Sherborn. Then, my daughter came to me and said, “Ma, why [don’t you] introduce yourself to Miss Monique — Miss Monique Marshall? Maybe you can do something for her students.”

I introduced myself, and I told her, “Hey, Miss Monique, listen: I work in the fashion industry. If there’s anything I can do to support your kids, or do anything with your students, I’ll be happy to do so.”

Six weeks later, she called me and she said, “Well, I have this young participant whose father passed away. She was raised by a single mother, and she needs help with prom.” And I said, “Oh, boy — prom.”

To be honest with you, we all laugh now because I thought all the prom dresses [were] not that beautiful. I remember I connected with the store that I bought my wedding dress [from], and I told the lady, the owner of the store, “Dolores, could you please help me? I have no clue what [a] prom dress is like.”

Then, she says, “Maristela, really? A prom dress is a gala dress, you know? It’s just meta-refined; what’s better for the person?” And this is how I did it. I said [to the METCO student], “Kimberly, why don’t you get ready in my house and bring your family? I will have some food here, get a hairstylist, makeup. You’ll leave [from] here and go straight to prom.”

I didn’t realize how large I impacted her. And two weeks later, she sent me this beautiful text, saying, “Thank you so much for making me feel like a princess. My friends [were] so excited to see me.”

I remember Kimberly had short hair. We put extensions, we — I did everything, just like a Brazilian woman. We went for everything: makeup, hair, everything. The accessories, the dress — everything was new. She kept everything. You know, I was very excited about the result and how much I impacted her.

Several months later, the METCO director, Monique Marshall, called me and said, “Well, I guess you have 20 kids for next year that need your help.” And then, I guess, between 2014 and 2015, it doubled: 20, 50, 90 and to 100. We grew so fast that my husband came to me and said, “You know, I know you so well. I know that you aren’t going to [stop] growing.” And we all know prom is very expensive — on average, over $1,000 if you have to put everything in the package.

That’s when I started raising money and I was able to grow faster and faster. Everything that I was doing was always volunteer; from 2014 to today, and for the rest of my life. You know, there [were] no other interests of anything. It’s just like volunteer [work], and I think it’s so rewarding.

I can use the passion, the gift that I have, and the reward is to see how the families and the participants [are] feeling. The feeling is hard to describe.

Rath: So, it started out primarily with METCO students and has just broadened considerably since then.

Rapo: Yes, yes. The whole idea — I believe that everyone needs help, everyone needs a chance. And we all know, prom in this country — don’t forget, I came from South America, I lived in Europe, and here I am in the U.S. — I’ve never seen something like that in another country. Prom is huge here! Prom is pretty much like the next thing to a wedding. There’s even a proposal now when they have [the prom].

I think it’s really unfair for my participants, the participants that I have, that not only face the financial challenges but face all the other challenges their life [has] thrown them to be left out. You know, maybe because they not only face the financial challenge, but their self-esteem is lower to the ground. Maybe they don’t have any guidance.

Some of my participants are alone. You know, they don’t have someone that can guide them. But for some of them that I help, it’s like they really are alone. Unfortunately, some of them think they don’t even belong to this world, and to have a stranger, someone they’ve never before, give them a sense of belonging and [say], “Hey, you can make this happen. You can feel good about yourself.” And that’s huge.

Rath: Yeah. When I think about that, especially in this moment, when young people are just being assaulted by social media, that really undermines their self-esteem. To hear a teenage girl saying that you made her feel like a princess is huge.

Rapo: Yeah. When I do everything for my participants, it’s like first class, because everything relates [to] where I came from. I said, “Listen. The participants that I help can easily give up on education because of all the struggles that they go [through]. But they don’t.”

They know that their education is the only thing that they really have. It’s really unfair for them not to deserve a new dress or new shoes, or have a ride, a limo, to the prom destination just because they financially cannot afford it. It’s not even, like — a discussion.

Rath: I don’t mean to sound silly, but you’re a veritable fairy godmother! You do it all — the dress, the shoes and the carriage.

Rapo: Yeah, this is what they call me now! It’s a new name, and the [participants] said, “Do you know about this Miss — they call me Miss — you are a fairy godmother!” And I said, “Oh! OK!”