ATLANTA — The disappointment has been hard for middle and high school kids, with events, sports, even graduations getting canceled in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But one local 12-year-old wanted to change that for everyone stuck at home.
Serenity Cadogan said she organized a nationwide virtual prom and is inviting everyone to join her Instagram Live Prom this Tuesday night at 7 p.m.
Serenity says she is ready for some excitement.
"I know I'm bored, I know they're bored, too," she said. "I wanted something they could do. Get dressed, take pictures."
The 12-year-old runs a charity in Atlanta donating prom dresses to young women in need.
"I can see the joy on people's faces," she said. "They say 'Oh, my gosh, this is the perfect dress for me.'"
But that got put on hold when school, and prom, and seemingly everything else was canceled.
"I'm upset because I can't see my friends at school or do actual activities there," she said. "It's how it helps me learn."
So she came up with an idea to have a prom live on Instagram.
She got two DJs, a dancer, a comedian, and she says she wants everyone to join in and have fun with it.
"It will look like an actual prom," she said. "People will wear things they wear to prom -- like it's real. It's going to be real."
If it's going to be real, we want everyone to look their best. So we went to 11Alive's in-house beauty expert, makeup artist Zavia Ross for some pointers.
"We are going to use whatever we have at home," Ross said. "For this season, a soft face, something that looks really natural, a glowy face. Keep the lipstick or lip gloss very natural. Put a little glitter on your eye, because that will brighten everyone's face, especially in times like this."
Zavia and Serenity agree -- it's not just about how you look, it's about how you feel.
"I really wanted to make everybody happy," said Serenity.
If you want to join in on the virtual prom, Serenity will be going live from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Tuesday night, March 31 on Instagram -- The username is @serenityeleya.
11Alive is focusing our news coverage on the facts and not the fear around the virus. We want to keep you informed about the latest developments while ensuring that we deliver confirmed, factual information.
We will track the most important coronavirus elements relating to Georgia on this page. Refresh often for new information.
MORE CORONAVIRUS HEADLINES |