SCRANTON, Pa. — A fashion show is returning to Scranton for its second year all to benefit Educational Opportunity Centers, Inc., a non-profit that helps students reach their educational goals.
Mayronell Rodado is a junior at Wilkes-Barre Area High School; he says some of his dreams are going to come true this weekend. He is walking in the show.
"This is going to be my first runway ever in public in my whole life, and I hope everything is going to go well," he said.
Rodado says he wants modeling to be his career one day and Education Opportunity Centers is helping him get there.
"It pushed me to do a lot of things and helped me with my confidence and things I want to do, projects, stuff like that. It's really awesome to be part of EOC," he said.
EOC supports 6th through 12th graders in 5 school districts here in NEPA, providing everything from tutoring to helping with college applications and FAFSA. The services offered are free, mostly for low-income, first-generation college students. The upcycling fashion show this weekend is entirely run by the students of EOC with a focus on upcycling.
"Basically, what's important to us is the sustainability of everything, so we really want to stay away from deteriorating clothes and fast fashion and things of that nature, and so basically, the students are tasked with going thrifting. They get a budget, they are to stay within their means," said Estephany Peguero, Educational Opportunity Centers.
The students are learning about sustainability but also about finances and how to plan and organize an event of this size. The students got the sponsors. the DJ and photographers are students, too. And of course, they're the designers.
"To see what they came up with, what they have created. Everyone worked so hard on their outfits and I just want to see their ideas, and I want everybody to see my ideas too," said Wilkes-Barre Area High School Freshman Larain Brundidge.
"Oh my goodness, I just feel this sense of relief because we have been planning this since September of last year. Now we're really down to the wire getting everything ready, and I'm just so excited to see what the students come up with because they never disappoint; they're so creative," Peguero added.
The fashion show is at the Marketplace at Steamtown in Scranton on Saturday the 27th from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. It's free and open to the public. For more information, click here.