This summer, I participated in what I think was one of the best moments of my life, a debutante ball. In this article, I will provide you with the ins and outs, as well as the ups and downs, of being a Krewe of Sant Yago Deb.

First off, when you apply, you have no idea who is debbing, so it’s like a blind voting, and you’re supposed to make friends along the way. The applications were done in February, so along with my Junior Ring dress search, I was also looking for a debutante dress, which was very stressful. I ended up getting my dress the day before Junior Ring because I was so fixated on my deb dress.

Then on June 3, 2025, I had my first-ever breakfast with the girls at the Grand Hyatt. I was able to meet some of them, even some Academy girls, Gabby Infante (‘26) and Mikayla Mangan (‘26), and Academy alumna, Lexi Rios (A’21). I was so nervous about being able to make friends with the girls, but they were all so kind and inviting. We even got a goodie bag with girly essentials like a pocket-sized sewing kit, a Stanley water bottle, a shoe bag, a keychain, and more. 

It wasn’t until July that we started our ballroom dancing classes, due to the fact that the ball wasn’t until August 16. When we started, I had worked out for three hours that day and was incredibly sore during the dancing, so it wasn’t an exhilarating feeling. Also, not to mention that my father and I are not built to dance. But our dance instructor, Woodrow, was an extremely patient bundle of joy.

Every Friday from five to six for eight weeks, we had dance practice, and it got more intense with each practice. To make it easier for the readers, you had your dancers, then you had the people who could get the dance down, then there was me. There were times when my father did a better job than I did. Aura lost. Between breaks, the girls and I would talk and get to know each other better, which we did, and became very close. With two certain girls, everyone didn’t know them much because they never came to practice, so it was harder to get to know them.

On the last dance practice before the actual ball, we had to bring our crinolines and heels, and I stupidly decided to wear backless heels. I was scared that during the lift that my heels would fly off, but it was the complete opposite. My feet almost went through the shoe! After that practice, we had a whole group dinner at Bernini’s in Ybor City to end the night. It was so much fun, and I got to learn more about the debs even more than I did before. School started on August 13, 2025, so in those three short days, they felt like the longest days of the year. 

After school on Friday, I headed to the hotel with the girls to do our last practice in the actual ballroom. It was all starting to feel real in those moments, and I was getting a bit sad that it was all coming to an end. One of the debs’ hoop broke and was dragging all over the floor, the floor was insanely slippery, my dad stepped on my toes and they started bleeding, and another girl fell- it was a mess. At the end of the devastatingly awful rehearsal, two of the girls invited everyone to their room to hang out and talk, so I went, of course. We talked for hours to the point where it was past midnight, and when I went back to my room, I got locked out of the room and sat there for 10 minutes calling my brother to open the door before he actually did. The next day, I woke up early for breakfast because my hairdresser was coming at 8 A.M., the makeup lady at 12 P.M., and I had to be down for pictures by 3 P.M. I’m not going to lie, I hated my makeup as soon as I got it done and went to the bathroom to cry and then room service came and all was solved.

Pictures went great, and we had to go sit in a room for about three hours before going through the kitchen to sit behind the stage for our presentation part. It was in that room where I actually appreciated my makeup. All of my best friends came, and we were all texting in our group chat during my three-hour wait. During this time, many TikToks were made, many mini dance rehearsals between two to three people, many conversations were started, and uber amounts of pictures were taken. Then it was time to move to the back of the stage. 

A couple of people went before me, and then I was called to present myself to society. In a shorter way to say this, your name is called, you curtsy to the king and queen, then curtsy left and right to the audience, then your escort (a brother, boyfriend, or guy friend) is supposed to put their hand out to help you down the stairs to walk down the floor to meet your parents in the middle. Then your dad will walk you around the floor while the two presenters talk about you and your achievements, and when they’re done, you walk out the door and get prepared for the dance. The dance went great, and there were no major flaws, which meant it was incredible for me. The time after that was spent taking loads of photos with my friends and loved ones and dancing. I had forgotten to eat, but I ended up ordering Domino’s, and it was probably the best midnight meal I’ve ever had. 

Now it’s over a month later, and I would still consider it the best night of my life. My friends may have enjoyed it more than I did, and I’m glad they had a great time. I’m having a slight bit of fomo from looking at the pictures and videos. Lexi Rios (A’21) said, “I had the absolute best time ever! From start to finish, it was such a magical experience, and I was honestly sad when it was all over. It’s something I will forever cherish with my family, and it will always stand out as one of the biggest memories of my lifetime. Being part of the Deb Ball was something I had always been interested in, and I feel so thankful and blessed that I was given the opportunity to do it.”

If you are interested in becoming a debutante, some advice I would give is to take it all in. It goes by so fast, and it’s so much fun that you forget to take a moment to enjoy it. I would totally do it again if I could. Rios (A’21) said, “Don’t stress too much about the little things-everything truly comes together perfectly in the end. Put your heart into the practices, lean on your family and friends for support, and soak up the entire experience. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you’ll cherish forever.”