Students walk the runway at Golden Valley High in Merced

MERCED, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) — The Cougar Closet offers dresses and suits to students at Golden Valley High School to help them feel extra special on their prom night.

Merced’s Golden Valley high school students strutted down the runway.

“This is a great way to like, feel confident in yourself, to be able to be like, I can still go to prom without having to spend a bunch of money on a dress,” Ashley Lopez said.

Prom night is one of the most memorable milestones in high school.

But for some students, finding the right outfit can be pricey.

Ashley Lopez, a sophomore, volunteers at the Cougar Closet, a campus resource that offers donated clothing to students.

“I’ve been in a place where I didn’t have much and a lot of clothes and stuff where I was able to get access to that. And it made me happy that we have something where people can get access to that,” Lopez said. 

The Third Annual Cougar Closet, Prom Fashion Show is a chance to shine in formal attire.

Student Support Manager Kelly Budisch says following the fashion show, students can book private appointments to browse the Cougar Closet on campus for the perfect prom dress or suit, for free.

“We have some really beautiful items for students to take. And so it really just kind of reduces that stigma and makes it more fun to shop secondhand,” Budisch said. 

She says the goal is to give students in lower-income households an opportunity to look and feel their best on prom night.

“It’s just really amazing to be able to give back and, you know, not let that be another issue that’s holding them back from enjoying something really fun,” Budisch said.