Payton Brown (12) and Kaitlyn Dixon (12) ride a tricycle together. “I really liked the outside activities at prom to dawn because I got to be with all my friends,” Brown (12) said.

Upperclassmen celebrate prom at the Newport Aquarium

Natalie Hinegardner, Eva Smith, Andrea Suarez Espinosa, and Alecia Cogsville • 93 Views

April 28, 2026

Highlands prom took place on Saturday, April 25, at the Newport Aquarium.

Students had the chance to walk around, look at all the exhibits, and even touch the animals and cross the shark bridge. The students who were on the prom court were juniors Brett Sower, Avery Hasson, Ella Jones, Ellie Niese, Parker Moses, Kenna Ullage, Chanith Abeysinghe, James Kilgore, Tayden Lorenzen, Cale Harris, Kai Anderson, and Wade Fedders. The prom king was Abeysinghe and the queen was Sower.

After prom, students headed over to the high school for Prom to Dawn. There were many activities to enjoy, such as mini golf, massages, bouncy houses, basketball, pickleball, and a silent disco. If students stayed long enough at Prom to Dawn, they had a chance to win amazing prizes like Highlands gear, gift cards, a cooler, and cash. The two big prizes included a Ms. Pac-Man arcade game and a Pac-Man arcade game.

About the Contributors

Natalie Hinegardner, Staff

Hinegardner is a senior at Highlands High School and has been enrolled in Fort Thomas Independent Schools since kindergarten at Ruth Moyer Elementary. She has been in the publication department for 4 years. She enjoys writing stories even though she struggles with finding the right words sometimes. She is very opinionated about something she is passionate about when she is comfortable with the people around her. Natalie is a hard worker when it comes to school and sports. She is very proud of her sports and always wants to succeed in them. Her goal is to reach the next level and play soccer in college. She loves her family and friends so much. Although school and sports take up a lot of time, she always tries to find time to hang out with the people she loves most.

Eva Smith, Social Media Editor

Eva is a Sophomore at Highlands High School. This is her second year in journalism and her first year in publications. This year, she is one of the Social Media Editors. She hopes to be able to widen her skills in journalism in both photography and social media skills. Along with journalism, Eva also participates in theater all year and track in the late winter and spring.

Andrea Suarez Espinosa, Photo Assistant

Andrea Suarez Espinosa is a sophomore at Highlands High School. She is on the Track and Field team and enjoys spending most of her time with family and friends. Andrea spends a lot of time investing in her relationship with God through her Christian community and is involved in Highlands Navigators. She has been in publications for 2 years and keeps going for her interest in photography. She would aspire to keep taking photography more seriously in the coming years at Highlands.

Alecia Cogsville, Photo Assistant

Alecia Cogsville is a sophomore at Highlands. This is her second year doing a journalism class and her first year in publications and mass media. Alecia is a photo assistant and is so excited for this year. Outside of school, she participates in theater and is elated to start this theater season. Alecia is so excited to publish in the Hilltopper this year.

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Upperclassmen celebrate prom at the Newport Aquarium

The Hilltopper

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