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Spring is right around the corner which means prom season is about to commence! On this episode of The Conversation, John and Rachel sit down with ESC Intervention Specialists, Kathy Meterko and Rachel Junge to talk about the ESC’s Campus-Based Transition Program and their main event—prom! They'll dive into the planning and logistics behind the event, this year’s theme, and why their prom is such a meaningful and hope-filled experience for CBT students, families, and educators alike. Let’s dive in!
This season we’re exploring how educators can rediscover joy, cultivate hope, and reconnect with the educational journey. Join us for a season filled with inspiring stories and meaningful insights that celebrate the power of education.
Our Guests
Rachel Junge is an Intervention Specialist in the CBT program. She has taught at WINGS for 19 years. Her favorite part of prom is seeing the prom develop from sketches on paper to the finished product and spending the evening with current and former students at the dance.
Kathy Meterko is an Intervention Specialist and is in her 19th year of the CBT program. She and Rachel taught together at WINGS for 11 of those years and now she leads the Step class at OSU. Her favorite part of prom is the week of prom because she likes seeing all of the decorations come together, feeling the excitement build, and then enjoying the night with her current and former students.
Contact the Guests
Creators and Guests
Host
Host
Producer
Brenna Schoen-Roth
Brenna Schoen-Roth is the Communications and Social Media Specialist at the ESC of Central Ohio. As the producer of "The Conversation", Brenna assists with the planning, recording, post production and promotion of the podcast. She also voices the intros of all podcast episodes! Want to be part of "The Conversation"? Email us: brenna.schoen@escco.org
Guest
Kathleen Meterko
Kathy Meterko is an Intervention Specialist and is in her 19th year of the CBT program. She and Rachel taught together at WINGS for 11 of those years and now she leads the Step class at OSU. Her favorite part of prom is the week of prom because she likes seeing all of the decorations come together, feeling the excitement build, and then enjoying the night with her current and former students.
Guest
Rachel Junge
Rachel Junge is an Intervention Specialist in the CBT program. She has taught at WINGS for 19 years. Her favorite part of prom is seeing the prom develop from sketches on paper to the finished product and spending the evening with current and former students at the dance.
What is The Conversation?
Welcome to "The Conversation", the ESC of Central Ohio's podcast! Join podcast hosts John Hambrick and Rachel Daniels every month as they explore a variety of topics featuring voices in education, helping to ignite ideas and inspire change. Want to be part of "The Conversation"? Email us: brenna.schoen@escco.org
Kathy Meterko:
They didn't go to their own high school homecoming or prom, because they never felt welcomed or accepted. And so, we just want this event to be a place where you can come who you are, as you are, and just have a great time and feel welcomed.
Speaker 2:
That was Kathy Meterko, an intervention specialist at the ESC of Central Ohio. On this episode of the conversation, John and Rachel sit down with Kathy and fellow ESC intervention specialist, Rachel Junge, to talk about the ESC's campus-based transition program and their main event, the prom. They'll dive into the planning and logistics, this year's theme, and why the prom is such a meaningful and hopeful experience for CBT students, families, and educators alike. Let's dive in.
John Hambrick:
Well, hello, and welcome back to The Conversation, Ohio Voices in Education, Igniting Ideas, Inspiring Change. So glad you're back with us. Rachel, what a conversation we have ahead of us.
Rachel Daniels:
This is an exciting one. I've been looking forward to this.
John Hambrick:
It is. We are so fortunate. We gather core memories through our lifetime, and I think that a core memory in my high school years was really nothing stronger than prom. I think for a lot of people prom isn't the same, but we've got a couple of people with us today. Kathy Meterko and Rachel Junge. They're both intervention specialists with the ESC of Central Ohio. And they've brought prom to a new level and really impacting our kiddos. And I'm so, so fortunate to be here with Rachel and with you two, Kathy and Rachel, to share a bit more about how you're bringing prom to life for more of our young people. So, I tell you what, Kathy, do you want to introduce yourself? Tell us a little bit about your role at the ESC, and then Rachel, you want to follow Kathy?
Kathy Meterko:
Sure. I'm Kathy Meterko and I'm an intervention specialist with the ESC, and I've been with them for over 20 years. I've kind of lost count, it's been so long. But I started in Bexley High School. And then in 2007, '08 school year I got moved to the WINGS class at Columbus State, which is part of the campus-based transition program. And I've been in CBT ever since then. I've worked at WINGS for 11 years side by side with Rachel. So, that's how we got to know each other and how this whole prom thing kind of started for us. And then I got transferred again to the STEP classroom at OSU. And so, I've been here and I think this is my eighth year here.
Rachel Junge:
And I'm Rachel Junge. I've been with ESC about 20 years as well. I started in Westerville in a high school classroom. And then, like Kathy said, in 2007 ended up here at WINGS with Kathy. And it was quite the journey for us as we started out. And I've been here ever since and hope to stay for a long time.
Kathy Meterko:
Yes.
Speaker 2:
We'd like to take a moment to jump in with a little bit more background on the ESC CBT program, to help our audience understand why this prom is so special. The CBT program at the ESC is a partnership with area institutions of higher education, which gives Central Ohio students with disabilities an opportunity to explore, develop, and refine skills necessary to enter competitive employment. These students plan this prom themselves from start to finish to create a night of collaboration and connection. Let's jump back into the episode to learn more.
Rachel Daniels:
I'd love to hear from you, set the stage for us by describing prom and the purpose in prom. And what I'd love to hear is, who participates, and how long has prom been going on?
Rachel Junge:
The prom is open to any student who's ever been in the program, or who is currently in the program. We actually have students coming back that are in their 50s, married, divorced, some have children. Some were in the program long before Kathy and I were here. And it's just a great way for them to come back together, see old friends. We get to catch up with them and hear what life has brought them in the last year. They're all able to bring a guest. The prom is free of charge for everybody. We just ask that the guest is someone close to their age. We don't want this to be a night where parents are supervising and hanging out with them. We want the students to just have fun, be there with their friends, and enjoy the evening.
Kathy Meterko:
Yeah. So, starting prom, as Rachel and I said, we both started at WINGS in 2007, and it was probably mid-year when somebody from CBT said, "Oh, you guys are in charge of prom this year." And we looked at each other and go, "What? What prom?" Never heard of it. Come to find out that they held a dance or a dinner at a restaurant every other year. And so, this was the year for it. And so, Rachel and I just had some discussions. It's like, "If we're doing this, then we're going to do it our way. And we want it to be at the ESC. We want our students to be involved in the planning and decorating." And those first few years of prom we had to charge people to come, and we wouldn't get the money until a week or two before prom. And so then the week of prom we would go out to Party City and Walmart and Gordon Food Service and whatever else to do shopping.
And then it was probably around 2011 that the superintendent and governing board at that time decided to provide funds for prom. So, it became free for everybody. And so, having a set of money, we knew what we were working with, having it earlier in the year just made it so much easier for us to do planning and decorating and crafting ideas. We knew how much we could spend and how big we can make our decorations, so they kind of elevated it that year. And then as I said, it got moved to here at Staff at Ohio State in the 2018, '19 school year. And so, Rachel and I talking about that, it was like, "We're not doing prom without each other, we're just not doing it." And so, it was, "How do we make this happen and being in two different locations now?" And so that's when we decided we have to get together at least once a month with the students and set aside dedicated prom planning time for us.
John Hambrick:
So, by day the ESC has conference rooms, meeting rooms, 50 at a time, 150 at a time, and then you come in and you do your magic. Can you share with our listeners really how that transformation occurs outside of us as we're going to the ESC, we see that magic note, we start clearing out the refrigerators, but there's so much more, right? Can you share how that is? And then really, who's the idea person on the theme of prom, and how far in advance do you decide that theme?
Rachel Junge:
The WINGS and STEP classes we actually start planning in the end of August or beginning of September. We've actually already had two planning sessions with the students this year already. It all begins with a PowerPoint and pictures of Kathy and I showing the students, "This is what we've done in the past. This is what we mean by the entryway or the focal point." These are themes we've done, so we need to come up with something new. And then the students get together with partners and they just look up ideas. So, if they think that we should do a Disney prom, they look for the movie that matches that theme. Or if they think we should do a sports theme, they're looking up sports pictures. And then they give us a whole list of ideas. Kathy and I together narrow it down to two or three ideas, and then the students vote.
So, they've actually already picked this year's theme, the crafting has begun. And Kathy and I were laughing, because even 30 minutes before they voted, we would not have picked this theme. It's not something-
Kathy Meterko:
[inaudible 00:09:06] in previous years.
Rachel Junge:
We would have never guessed it, but they have chosen a superhero theme for 2026.
John Hambrick:
That's delightful. I can imagine Wonder Woman and her Magic Lasso bringing people to the dance floor. I mean.
Rachel Junge:
Yes. They're actually all getting their own superhero poster. So, they've picked their superhero and they've decided what poster they're going to be for prom.
Kathy Meterko:
But we start, so as Rachel said, we get together every month to plan, but Rachel and I, ahead of time we create a to-do list. So, we know what we have to do, and it just helps to keep us on schedule, what needs to be done when, what supplies we need to buy. And then when our classes get together, that's our time where we can vote on designs or come up with new ideas. It's crafting, it's collating invitations, it's talking about the food. Students submit ideas and songs that they want to be played at the prom. And then when we get to prom week, we usually start on Tuesday of that week. The dance is always on Friday night, so we start on Tuesday, and it's our staff from WINGS and STEP and some other people from the ESC, it's our students. And we have a very dedicated group of volunteers that we couldn't do this without them, but they come and we split into groups and committees.
And so, we have some people hanging fabrics, some people working on the tables, some people hanging other decorations. And so, it's really fun for us to see that ESC room transform from that plain office building that you said to something really fun. Funny for us, a lot of the office workers will say, "Can we just keep these up all year? It's so much better with these up." But it is fun to see that and you can just kind of feel that anticipation and excitement for the dance building throughout the week.
Rachel Daniels:
We always encourage folks to check out the show notes every time we do a podcast, but this time we really mean it, because I think our listening audience would be remiss to not have a vision in their mind as we're talking through this process, because it truly is a transformation. I've worked at the ESC for upwards of 20 years now and can say each year I think, "How could it get better?"
But somehow each year it gets better. So, I will be eagerly anticipating the rollout of this superhero theme for this year. What strikes me about this though is just the value of your students having a voice and choice in this. Because you all could just put on a prom and you could do what works best for you, but you are so meticulous in curating an experience for these students that likely won't be replicated anywhere else in their life. I mean, this is a once in a lifetime experience to be part of the planning, but then to have just the joy of coming back year after year. I'm curious to hear from both of you, what lessons about inclusion, creativity, or teamwork have emerged from this prom experience?
Kathy Meterko:
Yeah, I mean, we have to work as a team to get these projects done and to be ready for the dance. And I think as the year progresses we get to know the students better and better and what they're good at in terms of crafting. And so, putting them in groups that address their skills and their interests. And they're working together on a project, we're always stressing communication with them. "Tell your buddy what you need. Tell them what they should be doing. You need to be listening." It's just like those little lessons that are built in, and just helping each other out. "Let's be a good partner, be a good friend, be a good teammate to get this project done."
In terms of creativity, just seeing their ideas for the themes, for the decorations and the crafts that we're doing, but also in the music that they're choosing and even what they wear to prom. We've had in previous years people come dressed as Harry Potter and Hermione for the Harry Potter one. There's no judgment. We don't care what you wear. We don't care how you dance. We just want you to have a good time when you're here. And we've heard just over the years from families and the students themselves that they didn't go to their own high school homecoming or prom, because they never felt welcomed or accepted. And so, we just want this event to be a place where you can come who you are as you are and just have a great time and feel welcomed with everybody. We want it to be very inclusive of everybody that comes.
John Hambrick:
I'm interested to know, over the years of having prom, is there a moment or a particular prom theme or individuals that stand out as an exemplar or a true expression of hope and celebration as to the intent of prom?
Rachel Junge:
I think there's several. One of them that always stands out to me is talking to the parents. They line up with the students to come back to prom, and I don't know who's more excited. They always want to come in and see the decorations, and to listen to them talk about what it means to their student, how much the student looks forward to it every year. And then also the parents will tell us, "This is our only night of the year to go out to dinner. This is the night that we get to go out and they get to do their thing on their own without us by their side." So, to hear the impact it not only has on the student, but also the family, I think is special.
And Kathy and I would agree that the best moment of prom is our final song. A few years back a student wanted Take Me Home, Country Roads as a song at prom. And Kathy and I were like, "Well, it's not a great dancing song, but let's see what we can do." So, we made it the last song, and just spontaneously everybody got in a big circle, arms locked, holding hands, swaying, and now it's just become tradition. It's the last song every year. We have a gigantic circle by the end of the night, and it's just a very special way to end the prom.
John Hambrick:
I am both a John Denver fan and a West Virginia University alum, and that song speaks to my heart like no other. And so to hear your students and families celebrating around that song collectively as a ... Oh, that's just amazing. I'm interested too, you've mentioned that people come back, right? You've got alums, they're married, maybe they've had kids and they come back and celebrate. Who's your longest attending alum? Has it been 10 years they've been attending now, 15 years? I'm curious to know.
Rachel Junge:
So, WINGS started in '97. We still have individuals who are coming back who are part of that very first class of WINGS.
John Hambrick:
That's just amazing. You two have brought this celebration that it's not just a dance, it's not just a gathering, it's woven into their fabric, and that's amazing.
Rachel Daniels:
Well, as our listeners know, we are honing in on this notion of hope. So, I'm curious to hear how does prom and the whole planning process and everything that goes into it, how does this fuel your hope as an educator?
Kathy Meterko:
Just giving our current students this special experience of planning the prom, because we always tell them you're kind of like the junior high class in high school that you're in charge of planning. As you said before, it's something that they probably have never done and will never do again. And so, just having that experience for them and seeing their joy and excitement throughout the year for it is really special for us. And then just that night of prom to have everybody come back and seeing our former students who are just so excited to be at the prom, to see us, some other former staff that's there, their old friends. And just having a fun night, just kind of just see their excitement and joy. Just we know that what we're doing isn't just a prom, it's a very special evening and how meaningful it is to everybody that's there.
Rachel Junge:
It's just something special every month that the students and we can look forward to and just kind of breaks up that daily grind that everybody is going through and gives us something to look forward to every month.
Rachel Daniels:
Yeah, I think that's what's resonating for me is just the way in which newness sparks each year. When we think about prom, we all have this idea of what prom is, but for you all, it's so different every year, and yet, the enthusiasm and the joy and the hope that comes from everybody who has any kind of connection to this is palpable. And that's why throughout this whole conversation, John and I have just had smiles on our face, because we are thinking about every year that we've experienced the prom and just how amazing it is. I'd like to begin to end our conversation by giving you a chance to share with our listeners how they might help to support prom. Are there ways in which you look for support from the community, or if there's someone who would want to get involved, is that an opportunity as well? I'll give you the chance to share any of those kinds of thoughts.
Rachel Junge:
Well, if you're handy or crafty and you want to pitch in, we do not turn down volunteers ever. We also are always looking for unwanted materials, large appliance boxes, string lights, battery-operated candles, vases, any leftover decorations. You can always reach out if you want to help with that cause as well.
Rachel Daniels:
Well, this has been an inspiring way to start our day. And I feel safe saying that for both John and me. When we were thinking about places in our experience through the ESC that bring hope and joy, the first thing that came to mind was this prom experience. And I feel like you all have done such a great job in painting the picture for why this experience from an educational perspective is so important, because you're creating a space for the creation of a lot of soft skill experience that these students will really benefit from. But from a human perspective you're creating just this sort of waterfall of continuous memories that these folks will cherish really for the rest of their lives. So, thank you, Kathy and Rachel for taking time to share with us today. For John, this is Rachel. Stay curious, and keep up with the conversation.