Students awarded for staying safe on prom night

BY COLBY FRAZIER
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

A program aimed at keeping local high school students safe on prom night honored 14 students with cash prizes yesterday and gave one graduating senior a 1988, Toyota Camry.
The 15 students, five from each of the area’s three high schools, gathered at Toyota of Santa Barbara where Ryan Westerhoff, of Santa Barbara High, won the car.
Niloofar Kilpelainen, PTSA president at San Marcos High, said the students were entered into the contest at the conclusion of an after-prom party, which is aimed at keeping students out of trouble on prom night.


“The idea is just to keep the kids off of the street after prom is over,” she said.
Each of the students who were present at yesterday’s drawing were qualified at the conclusion of their school’s respective parties, which ended at 4:30 a.m., Kilpelainen said.
In Westerhoff’s case, he said he wanted to leave the party early, but his ride wanted to stay.
“This would be the reward for being patient,” Westerhoff, who plans to attend Santa Barbara City College in the fall, said.
Westerhoff said he already has a car and will likely sell the Toyota to help pay off a motorcycle he recently purchased.
Kilpelainen said the PTSA parties have been held for the past 15 years.
Westerhoff’s mother, Michelle Humboldt, was all smiles after her son’s name was the last to be drawn from the basket, and said commended the PTSA parities.
“I think the program that PTSA does after prom is super valuable,” she said. “It’s an excellent program.”
Regardless of what her son does with the car, Humboldt said it’s just nice to see him get lucky.