Staten Island Technical High School Prom/ Amal & Company

I had never been to Staten Island before. Leroy, my husband's best friend, grew up there and had extended the invitation to visit numerous times over the tenure of our relationship, though in my mind it was always "Take a ferry? You must be kidding! Do I need my weekend bag?"

Enter Zainab. Also a college friend of Jorge's. Also from ... take a guess?.... Staten Island! A couple week's ago she invited me to shoot her sister Amal's pre-prom party at their family residence. Of course I took advantage of the opportunity to vicariously live through a group of gregarious twenty - eight 18 year olds and their "I - own - the - world - mantra." After all, my heart sings at the slightest signs of idealism and adventure! Oh and it was all that and more!

Amal is beautiful. I mean model-type beautiful. Regal, dynamic, graceful and on her way to the University of Michigan this Fall... the world is Amal's untouched playground and prom was merely the commencement of her beautiful journey through the many rites of passage ahead.

Congratulations Amal Muzaffar and the Staten Island Technical High School class of 2011!