A teen from Pasco County, Florida, just won a $10,000 cash scholarship after spending over 100 hours making a gown out of a seemingly impossible material—duct tape.
Grace Vaughn won first place in the dress category for Duck brand’s yearly Stuck at Prom Scholarship Contest.
Inspired by the Yin and Yang theory, which represents balance in one’s routine, the 17-year-old Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School rising senior’s work was chosen as the best among over 100 entries in the competition.
She was awarded scholarship money that will help her finance her dream of studying fashion and designing at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).
Grace was visiting North Carolina to run a camp when she received an email with the good news. Upon seeing the word “congratulations,” she knew it was the announcement she had been waiting for.
The teen had to keep the news to herself for a while until Duck brand officially declared it later that day.
This is Grace’s second year of joining the contest. Grace also made a gown last year and submitted it. Although she didn’t win, she enjoyed the entire process, so she decided to participate again this year.
She started by sketching various designs.
“I started making the dress, and my dress and idea completely shifted,” she recalled. “Sometimes that’s how the creative process works. It just completely changes and definitely in a good way.”
Ashley Luke, senior product manager at Shurtape Technologies, LLC, which markets the Duck brand, stated in a statement.
“Each of our contestants had a special story to tell this year, from hoping to empower others with their designs to pushing their artistic abilities to the limit, and they should all be very proud of their Duck Tape® looks.”
For Grace, the reward isn’t simply a cash prize—it’s a significant first step into her dream career.
“I was super excited because I knew that it was kind of the first step into my fashion career,” she said.
Grace has dreamed since she was a highschool freshman about going to SCAD. Grace was visited by a recruiter from the university who showed her pamphlets with designs and creations made by students and campus.
She even had the opportunity to visit the college during the summer of 2021.
“I loved how the campus was really in tune with the city of Savannah. It was everything I would hope it would be,” she said.
The $10,000 scholarship money would help her cover the cost of her fashion education.
“It definitely means a lot because I want to go into fashion, and getting some money for the school that I want to go to really helps out,” she said.
It’s also great to see one of her designs being recognized.
“I think I’m pretty shocked that people like it this much,” Grace said.
Grace’s mom, Krissy Vaughn, is thrilled to see her daughter’s hard work pay off. After 45 rolls of duct tape, and 143 hours spent creating the 13-pound, floor-length ball gown, Krissy Vaughn was there to witness it come to life.
“As I watched her work on it in the family room, I really had no idea what was going to happen because she just works meticulously and focused,” she said. “I was pretty blown away that it came out to look like that.”
Aside from the financial benefits, the scholarship will also give Grace’s resume a boost when she applies to fashion school.
The proud mom is excited to see more people recognize Grace’s talent and creativity.
“We see it all the time, but it’s hard to have everyone else see that,” she said. “We’re very proud of her, and we know she’ll be doing great things. It is just a matter of watching it all unfold.”
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