Lake Central Students Give One Senior the Moment of a Lifetime at Prom

Lake Central Students Give One Senior the Moment of a Lifetime at Prom

Prom is just one evening, and then it’s over. But the magic of Prom is that what happens in these few short hours of the early evening has the power to create memories that will last a lifetime.

And there’s no better example of this than the story of Lake Central High School Senior, Jacob (Jake) Kiefor.

Kiefor has Down Syndrome, but has never let that, or anything else in life deter him from accomplishing great things. And when Jake saw a friend of his from Munster win his school’s Prom last year, he figured there was no reason why he couldn’t be the Indians’ King as well.

“He’s never let his disability stop him from doing great things,” Jake’s sister, Jessica Kiefor, told IIMM.

Jake made the decision to run for King at the beginning of his Senior year, and with the help of his sister and his friends campaigning in his corner, he got some really good news as Prom season loomed: he made the cut for Prom Court.

“Once he was announced for Prom Court everyone started to get excited,” Jessica added. “People were tweeting #JacobKieforForPromKing, and I had tons of people come up to me and tell me that they were voting for him for King.”

The day of Prom, Jake could’ve been nervous about the big decision happening later in the evening; the decision he had been waiting for since his Senior year started.

But that’s just not Jake’s personality, Jessica says.

“Jake was just super excited for the night. He knew winning Prom King would be difficult, but he stayed positive. Plus, he knew whether he won or lost it was an honor to just be nominated and that he was still going to have a great time since he loves to dance.”

And when the decision came down, and Jake had won, he, and everyone else in attendance were beyond ecstatic. Lake Central’s social media accounts went crazy with videos and pictures, all of Jake thanking the students for creating this special moment for him and the students showing the love right back.

Thanks to the few short hours at Prom, Jake now has a memory that will last last him a lifetime; a memory, Jessica says, that will continue to drive him towards accomplishing his goals and maintaining that positive attitude that made him King in the first place.

“I just think it’s so great that the people here were thoughtful enough to do this for him..he deserved it. He always has a smile on his face, tries to make other people happy, and doesn't let his disability stop him from doing great things.”

Photo credit to Brianna Sarkisian.