For two Wheeler County High seniors, classmates banded together to make the night unforgettable for all of us.
Prom King Christopher Wilcox and Prom Queen Sarah Jane Clark won the royal titles after they were nominated and voted by their fellow seniors.
In a county with about 7,000 people where “everybody knows everybody,” the community almost becomes “a family.”
That’s why the seniors said it wasn’t a difficult decision for their graduating class of 66 students to decide who was going to win the school’s biggest popularity contest.
Lyndsie Hall proposed the idea in their class 2024 Snapchat group chat.
“I just wanted someone different to be recognized, you know, people that stand out differently,” Hall said. “I feel like different people should get a different vision and finally feel special.”
Rhett Rodgers said nominating the two people with the biggest hearts at Wheeler County High was a no-brainer.
“I’m pretty sure everyone knew once Lyndsie proposed the idea who we were going to vote for prom king and queen,” Rhett said.
Like the royal couple, Lyndsie also went to Wheeler County Elementary and Middle schools growing up.
“They came a long way from watching them from kindergarten to adulthood,” Lyndsie said. “They’ve been our classmates our whole lives. I used to sit in the first seat of the bus with Chris in elementary, too. He used to sit in a car seat, and I would sit right there beside him. And Sarah was in my kindergarten class, and I used to talk to her.”
Rhett said he used to go to private schools before he came to Wheeler County High. Since coming, he said, Chris and Sarah have only been kind and sweet to him.
“Chris would walk to me every day, and he’d always give me a fist bump every day,” Rhett smiled. “We have gym class together, and he gives me a fist or a hug every day. Sarah Jane is always nice and talks to me.”
The first thing you’ll notice about the dancing queen Sarah—who’s only 17—is her sparkling brown eyes and gorgeous smile.
King Chris may flaunt his big muscles, but it’s the hugs he gives that steal all of our hearts.
On Saturday, April 13, the two were crowned as royalty by their peers.
“She’s come a long ways,” Sarah’s mother Angela Clark said. “When she was born, she was on a lot of medical equipment, and they told us she wouldn’t achieve a lot of things in life.”
“This is a happy ending to a long battle,” Sarah’s dad, Jolly Clark, said.
Sarah has Prader-Willi Syndrome, and Chris has Down Syndrome.
Vernon Wilcox, Chris’ dad, said Chris is bilingual because his mom, who’s from Mexico, speaks Spanish with them at home.
“That’s quite special to us,” he said.
“They mean a lot to me,” Lyndsie said as she wiped tears away. “Just they are being them every day. They come to school, they do their work, don’t get in trouble, they talk to everyone, they hug us.”
Lyndsie thinks much of us can learn from Wheeler County royalty because Chris and Sarah let nothing limit them in life.
Sarah’s favorite hobbies are embroidering and arts and crafts.
Chris loves to fish and play basketball in his free time.
They encourage you to live life to the fullest and dance.
