ROCK HILL, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) In schools across America, bullying is a problem and students don’t always see eye-to-eye. But two Rock Hill High School senior students showed what true friendship is all about when they went to prom together.
Renee Hilton and James Roberson are so much more alike than different. Beyond the obvious, like they’re both preparing for college while navigating life in high school, they’ve also both overcome life’s challenges.
Just three months ago, Hilton lost her father.
“It was a very sudden death that nobody expected,” says Hilton.
Roberson lives with down syndrome.
After volunteering in the special education classroom for two years, and befriending Roberson during her time there, Hilton invited him to go to senior prom together because she says he always knows how to make her laugh.
“James is one of those people, as soon as you meet him, you’ll tell how personable he is. He loves meeting other people. He just has a really big heart,” says Hilton.
He said yes.
In a night to remember, Roberson and Hilton took prom photos together before getting dinner at Outback Steakhouse and dancing the night away at prom.
And they certainly have a lot to celebrate and look forward to.
Both Hilton and Roberson are going to college. Roberson got a full-ride to Winthrop University thanks to an Intellectual Needs Scholarship, and Hilton will study nursing at University of South Carolina. She says she wants to continue working with students with special needs.
