The smiles were wide as Guilford High School (GHS) hosted a Unified Prom last month that included students from multiple towns. The event was sponsored and coordinated by GHS students, who as a body consider the role of unification as a profound honor, according to school staff.

Jaye Carlson, head coach of Unified Sports at GHS, said the Prom effort was student-driven, reflecting the school’s commitment to inclusion and understanding.

“My kids wanted to do an event that inclusive with other towns, and that was a Prom,” said Carlson. “We, as Guilford High School, have done a Monster Bash in the past, but this year, they decided they wanted a Prom. So, they wrote the grant, did all the work, and figured out the budget. They got the caterer, they got all the supplies, the DJ, and here we are. They did everything. And they did all this for others.”

GHS student Carly Hay was among those who helped coordinate and sponsor the event. Hay said that working on the Prom was something that she and her classmates were honored to take on.

“I just love spending time with the kids in the program, and we all felt they really deserved something for all their hard work,” Hay said. “They’ve done so much, and they are so passionate about everything, and I just felt like — especially with COVID — we haven’t really been able to do anything like this. After such a long delay, we just thought it was a great idea, and it makes it even better that it’s student-run. It was a very long process to pull off, but it was worth it because we know everyone is just going to love it.”

The towns of Branford, Guilford, Durham, Madison, and East Haven were represented at this year’s event.