Alexandra Ciesla Cornwell Interview - Being a Debutante

Alexandra Ciesla Cornwell Interview - Being a Debutante

Alexandra Ciesla Cornwell, a debutante presented at the 1998 White & Red Ball, talks about what it being a debutante means in her family.

Alexandra Ciesla Cornwell & Laura Pearce

Legion of Young Polish Women Records

Women and Leadership Archives

July 30, 2014

Copyright is held by the Women and Leadership Archives

"Well I think, again, it goes back to the tradition and it was just, you know, my mom always had the big portrait of her debut up in the house, and - and kept all of her dresses and gowns from the different balls that she went to when she was, um, our age at that time and into her twenties and thirties. And so, for us it was just a really special time in our lives. It was, you know, sort of for us the sweet sixteen, you know, sort of the thing you did. And the whole family was invited, and we got to invite friends and - and so it was just this very big part of the tradition in our family. And now we have, my sister is older, um, and she has two girls, 13 and 11, and so they're kind of the next in line to do this and it's just something we always look forward to as a family. So, it's not, it wasn't just my mom and it wasn't just me doing this. You know, obviously my dad was involved as the presenter, and my brother's were escorts, and I remember going to the ball when my sister debuted and I was five and running around with other younger sisters of the debutantes at that time. So it was just, you know, there's just something about the tradition that's just really important to the family and-and really exciting for us.

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