After seeing prom queens portrayed in coming-of-age movies growing up, senior Seannea Arceo aspired to be one herself. 

She never thought her casual dream would turn into reality. 

“I applied because I thought the title is really cool and I have always seen it in the movies,” Arceo said.

The senior said she first decided to promote herself because she was inspired by the funny campaigns used by her friend, then-senior Gabriel Villanueva, who won prom king last year. She only did so by filming a simple TikTok video, which she asked her friends to repost, and as a result, received approximately 400 views.

Through an announcement made by an Associated Student Body [ASB] member in the quad, Arceo found out she was one of the five prom queen nominees on Thursday, March 28. 

Only seniors could vote for anyone from the graduating class as a nominee on the 5-Star app.

“Honestly, I really don’t know how I won,” she said. “I think it could be from the single video I made.”

The next round of voting took place on the day of prom at the Aquarium of the Pacific on Saturday, April 6, in which seniors had the chance to vote through a Chromebook provided in the middle of the dance floor.

Surrounded by enormous fish tanks, Arceo, along with students attending prom, waited in anticipation as the emcee, junior Scarlett Chang, began to announce the king and queen. 

“Throughout the night, I felt surprisingly pumped because I was running around having fun and dancing,” she said.

When she was declared to receive the prom queen crown, she said she was in complete shock because she did not expect to win and felt that other nominees deserved it more.

“I was jumping with my friends when they called my name,” the prom queen said.

The senior said the night was a fulfilling experience, as she ended her high school journey with a once-in-a-lifetime achievement.

She also said she took the entire process lightly, going into it with the thought of just having fun. However, unlike her low expectations of receiving the crown, her close friends thought otherwise.

“Seannea has a charming personality, and she is really friendly to people around her, so I knew she would win,” senior Charlize Cachuela said. 

Additionally, Arceo said she received lots of support from her family and teachers, who fully supported her throughout the entire process.

“Sometimes she was quiet, but when she was social, she was social and overall was a good student,” said social science teacher Matthew Acosta, who encouraged her to go for prom queen. “What a fantastic way to end high school — I think it’s a great experience for her personally.”

This memorable event concluded Arceo’s four years of high school positively despite the several academic and social challenges that came along the way.

“Not to be corny, but it was definitely like the movies,” the prom queen said. “I got to fully experience the real teenage life.”

Since freshman year, she said she experienced a significant amount of growth by being more comfortable with participating in school events. 

“I became more comfortable because I realized how fun it is to participate, and I figured that I should always make the best out of everything and not be ashamed of myself,” the senior said. “I’m really proud of how far I’ve progressed because I never would have been able to predict this.”

Throughout her years of being part of the Bayanihan Club, Arceo said she was able to gain lots of support from her members, which she felt contributed to her win.

“We love supporting each other and uplifting each other’s spirits in our own different way and especially with hearing that with Nea and our [other] member was running, the members and I knew that we had to automatically support them no matter what,” said senior Denise Bravo, the co-president of the Bayanihan Club and a close friend of Arceo. 

Arceo will attend Cypress College to pursue dental hygiene or radiology. As she moves on to a new chapter in life, she said she feels excitement and anxiety at the same time.

“I feel worried, but I will work hard to fulfill my dreams,” the senior said. “I learned that I should always go for it and never be embarrassed.”