Bucs Boutique Allows Students to Say YES to Any Occasion
The Bucs Boutique features dresses, accessories and menswear for any student to borrow.
May 13, 2022
Several years ago, community liaison specialist Dorys Pacheco overheard a few of her students talking about how they couldn’t go to prom because they couldn’t afford the ticket and the dress. For Pacheco it hit a little close to home because she almost didn’t go to her own prom for the same reason. “I was able to find a dress to wear but it was really plain and not what I wanted.” In her role as community liaison specialist, she makes sure the students’ needs are met so that they can focus on their academics, so from that conversation she overhead, the idea for the Bucs Boutique was born.
Seeing that others were in the same situation, Pacheco started asking teachers, students and the community if they had gowns and dresses to donate. “It started building up, a couple dresses here a couple dresses there,” said Pacheco of the project that has eventually grown to several dozens of dresses. Having quickly outgrown the closet she was using, Pacheco needed somewhere to store everything that was being donated. That is when principal J.C. De Armas stepped in and provided a room as well as essentials to store and display the dresses and accessories. “If there is nothing available for a student, I always try to reach out to different agencies to help out financially,” said De Armas, “I have been doing this for a long time and know that not everyone has the same economic status.” The PTSA was also instrumental during the inception of the project and has provided assistance throughout the years.
The boutique has grown beyond dresses to include shoes and accessories and a growing collection of menswear. Any student can visit the boutique for any occasion, not just prom or homecoming, to borrow whatever they need. With students of different shapes and sizes and styles constantly coming and going, Pacheco is always looking for donations to keep the boutique up to date. If you would like to help, she can be reached via email at [email protected].
