ASPIRA Students Reunite at Special Prom
Jesus Lara scanned the Chicago Teachers Union headquarters, dressed in a sharp black suit and silk tie. Among familiar faces, he found his friends from ASPIRA Business & Finance High School and smiled. It was a rare moment of togetherness, as Lara, 18, had spent recent months at Lake View High School instead of ASPIRA, due to the revocation of the school’s charter.
The Chicago Board of Education revoked ASPIRA’s charter because of what officials described as ‘systemic fiscal mismanagement’. As a result, ASPIRA couldn’t fund the rest of the school year, leading to the closure of ASPIRA Business & Finance and ASPIRA Early College High School. This compelled about 570 students to transfer to other public schools in Chicago.
For seniors like Lara, this meant leaving their established school community to finish the school year elsewhere. The transition was challenging, but the prom organized by CPS and CTU offered a chance to reunite with old friends. ‘We all went to separate schools, so it’s nice to see them again,’ Lara shared. He felt more included with familiar faces around him.
“I think I’m more excited about this one than the actual school prom I had gone to because I know more people here,” Esmeralda Navichoque, a senior, commented.
Navichoque, who transferred to Carl Schurz High School, expressed that the final high school year seemed ‘weird’ as she adapted to new surroundings. The prom allowed her to reconnect with lifelong friends, a sentiment echoed by Melody Diaz, also 18. Diaz transferred to Theodore Roosevelt High School and found making new friends late in the year difficult. Both valued celebrating prom with longtime friends.
Jennifer Conant, CTU Charter Division Chair, emphasized that the event aimed to gather ASPIRA seniors for a final celebration before graduation. Approximately 70 students attended, also invited to a special lunch and graduation ceremony.
Despite the rapid planning, hosting the event at the CTU headquarters provided space for students to enjoy dinner and dance. ASPIRA teachers attended as chaperones, reconnecting with their former students, marking a reunion-style evening.
For many, this prom was a chance to pause, reflect, and celebrate their time at ASPIRA. While welcoming, the new schools couldn’t replicate ASPIRA’s community. Conant appreciated the efforts of these schools but recognized the unique challenge for ASPIRA seniors due to recent disruptions.
Yuriel Garcia, 18, transferred to Schurz from ASPIRA Business & Finance. He dismissed the speed of adaptation required, adapting to new teachers and schedules. Despite making some local friends, he found joy in the special event at CTU.
‘It’s been a weird journey because it was like speed-running through the entire year again because I had to meet new teachers and figure out where to go for my classes, so that was a little bit slow,’ Garcia explained. ‘I had some friends in my school, but not everyone, so this feels nice that they are doing something just for us.’