For nearly two decades, Calhoun High School’s Senior Experience program has organized a charitable Fashion Show to fundraise for an organization chosen by the senior students.  

This school year, the class of 2025 chose Camp Good Morning!  

“Sadly, within our own Merrick community, there are a handful of children who have lost someone close to them,” explained Ella Stanek, a Senior Experience intern. “For many families, expenses serve as an extra burden when experiencing the heavy weight of a loss since navigating grief is a difficult task. Thankfully, Camp Good Mourning! offers all their services free of charge,” 

This overnight or weekend camp program helps children who have experienced the death of a parent or sibling, this organization aims to support, educate, and empower grieving children by connecting them with necessary mental health resources, as well as allowing them to meet other children who have experienced a similar loss.  

With nearly $4,000 already raised, the goal is to reach $15,000 through the Fashion Show fundraiser. The students are led by advisors Tanya Cestaro, Nicole Debonis, Jason Elias and Elizabeth Separ. 

Senior Experience is a course that combines English and Social Studies with an internship and service-learning project. It allows seniors to experience the real world and prepare for the next chapter of their lives, including how to better the world. 

London Basco, an intern with the program, said that in addition to bolstering communication and presentation skills, Senior Experience has helped with time management. Interns were responsible for content development, marketing, and more surrounding the Fashion Show. 

“I have had to dedicate a lot of my time to the Fashion Show, which helped me manage my time better than previous school years,” she noted. “It’s prepared me for any higher-level amount of work that I might get in the future.” 

The Fashion Show will occur at Calhoun High School on Thursday, April 10, at 7 p.m. in the gymnasium. Admission is $10.

Click here to purchase tickets or make a donation.