Joyful Dancing at Best Buddies Prom

The night started out with Disney music, but Top 40 dance beats weren't far behind.

Prom night, hosted by the Best Buddies club at , brought together students from four local schools for a three-hour party complete with a live DJ.

The Best Buddies program links special education students with other students at their school, with whom they form friendships through regular meetings.

This is the second year El Toro High has hosted a Best Buddies prom, but the first that the club has invited students from other schools to join the festivities.

Zack Gugert, 18, said he always knew he wanted to participate in the Best Buddies program to make sure his younger brother, Nicholas Gugert, would have a positive high school experience.

"He's autistic, so I wanted him to have the best time he could in high school, and I knew I could help him do that," the El Toro senior said.

Dancing is what prom night is all about, Nicholas Gugert said, minutes before he hit the dance floor.

Another El Toro senior, Cynthia Castro, said she wanted to be a Best Buddy during high school because of Zach Jenco, a special education student who she met in seventh grade and inspired her with his cheerful nature.

Jenco, also a senior, said he wasn't always sure he would attend prom.

On Friday night, however, he said the nervousness he had been feeling was gone, leaving only excitement.

"It looks pretty fun," he said, grinning.

In addition to the dance music, the event also had a buffet at its start and tables where some students and parents sat and talked.

Gabriela Ramirez sat near her son, 15-year-old Roberto Alvarez, who ate dinner next to his buddy Alan Truong.

The Best Buddies program has helped her son become more comfortable in social situations, Ramirez said.

Truong, who joined the program this year, said Best Buddies makes sure that no one at El Toro High is left out, even though they may feel that they are different from their peers.

El Toro High's Best Buddies club is part of Best Buddies International, a volunteer organization dedicated to giving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities opportunities for one-on-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development.

Best Buddies International was founded in 1989 by Anthony Kennedy Shriver.