The Class of 2026 had two proms this year — and the kupuna of ʻIlima at Leihano made sure the second one was just as special.
For the sixth time since its launch in 2017, Island Pacific Academy’s graduating seniors hosted the Senior to Senior Prom at ʻIlima at Leihano, a senior living community in West Oʻahu. This year’s theme, Midnight Fiesta Under the Stars, set the tone for an evening that included roses, bingo, heavy pupus, line dancing, and a waltz shared between two sets of prom royalty.
The night moved through a full program. Seniors greeted each resident with a single rose, mingled, then gathered for rounds of bingo and Two Truths and a Lie before sitting down to eat, with students bringing plates directly to residents. Mr. and Mrs. Congeniality were crowned from among the ʻIlima residents. IPA’s own Prom King Torin Jack ’26 and Queen Caitlyn Bedford ’26 then presented crowns and sashes to ʻIlima’s Prom King and Queen — a couple married 74 years — and the four danced a waltz together. Students from the IPA cast of Mamma Mia! performed two songs before leading the room in a series of popular line dances.
For many students, the evening offered something they hadn’t expected to take home. “I just wanted to come out here and spread some joy,” said Torin Jack ’26. “I wanted to get to know some people, maybe learn some things about life from people who have a lot more wisdom than I do — and just make them smile.”
The evening also carried a moment of personal history for Secondary Principal Steve Ross, who reconnected that night with a resident he had first met at the 2019 prom. Now 100 years old, she remembered dancing with Mr. Ross at that event and asked him, with complete sincerity, whether he was one of the students.
What the residents gave back was just as real. “The most valuable thing I’ve learned from them is to live in the moment,” reflected RiAnn Martin ’26. “Don’t worry so much about the past or the future — just enjoy what’s going on now. That way you won’t have regrets later on in life.”
First held in 2017, the Senior to Senior Prom ran for three years before pausing during the pandemic and resuming in 2024. It has become a signature tradition for IPA seniors, one that asks graduating students to mark the end of their high school years not only in celebration, but in service. For the Class of 2026, the night at ʻIlima was both.
Mahalo to the staff at ʻIlima at Leihano, Upper School Counselor and National Honor Society Advisor Rodney Lum, Secondary teacher Spanish National Honor Society advisor Aiddy Weisbecker, and senior class advisor Brandi Dul for their continued care in making this tradition possible.
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