Miah Cerrillo, a survivor of the devastating Uvalde mass shooting, is preparing to celebrate her quinceañera this November. This significant event in Latino culture marks a young girl's transition into womanhood at the age of 15. Miah has chosen a lavender ball gown from Moda 2000, a renowned quinceañera store, for her special day. The selection process began with Miah expressing her desire to her parents for a gown from Moda 2000 in 2024, and it culminated in an emotional visit to California.
Moda 2000, located in California, is celebrated for its viral fashion videos on platforms like TikTok and YouTube. Gelssy Rodriguez, president of Moda 2000, emphasized the importance of Miah's quinceañera as a remarkable milestone. Recently, Miah and her family made a return trip to the store to try on the dress one final time before taking it home. The visit included a sentimental ritual, where parents waltz with their daughters dressed in their dream gowns—a moment filled with tears of joy for Miah and her family.
"The day that the mass shooting happened, I feel like it touched everybody in the nation, and me and Gipsy had like talked about it … we wanted to give back to that community somehow, some way, and I think that the universe aligned itself, and it brought Miah here, because we were finally able to give back to her," said Gelssy Rodriguez.
Miah's journey to this joyous occasion is poignant. She survived one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history on May 24, 2022, where nineteen students and two teachers tragically lost their lives. Amidst the grief and recovery, Miah’s quinceañera planning began, a process that typically spans a full year.
During the dress fitting, Moda 2000 owners, Gipsy and Gelssy Rodriguez, expressed their deep connection to Miah's story. They decided to become the "madrinas" or godmothers of her dress, gifting it to her.
"After we tried on the dress and everything, Gipsy and her mother came up to us and said they would like to be the 'madrinas' (godmothers) of the dress, and obviously we started crying, and we were really happy, and we couldn't believe that it was gifted to her," shared Abigale Veloz.
The experience has profoundly impacted Miah and her family. Gipsy Rodriguez reflected on the emotional process leading up to this celebration.
"Up until now, the whole process for Miah has been very like smiles and everything, and we really got to see some raw emotion from her," commented Gipsy Rodriguez.
The quinceañera tradition holds significant cultural value, often perceived as more than just an extravagant celebration.
"I think it's really special that Miah is choosing to do a quinceañera. I feel like a lot of times people just see it as a big party, and that maybe it could be like, 'Oh, such a waste of money for like, one day,'" said Gelssy Rodriguez.
