Jessica Ong, of Great Neck, is on pins and needles, waiting to find out if the butterfly-themed prom dress she created using duct tape will win her a $15,000 college scholarship. The 17-year-old's creation was chosen as one of five dress finalists in the Ohio-based Duck Tape brand’s 24th annual Stuck at Prom Scholarship Contest; the grand prize-winner, determined by two weeks of online voting, will be announced at noon on Wednesday at stuckatprom.com , says Duck Tape spokesperson Caitlyn Ward.
Ong, a rising senior at Great Neck North High School, spent close to 100 hours and 34 rolls of dark blue, teal, white, gold and black tape to create an elaborate dress with wings that honors her Malaysian grandmother, who died in March at age 95. "I wanted to represent my grandmother’s grace and beauty," Ong says of her paternal grandmother, whom she would visit in Malaysia. "Every time I was there, she was always very positive.
She had a good energy." In many cultures, the butterfly symbolizes love and life, Ong says. This is the second year Ong has entered the competition, which also includes five finalists in a tuxedo category.
Ong’s entry last year, she says, was "way too simple"; she used only red and white tape and created flowers. When she saw the finalists in 2023, she knew she had to aim higher and try again to succeed, she says. Don't miss a minute out east this summer.
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