At most quinceañeras, the ballroom is filled with the birthday girl’s extended family and long-time friends. But on Thursday night, Stern first-year Brandy Falcón’s belated quinceañera — held on the eighth floor of the Kimmel Center for University Life — was attended not only by some family members, but also dozens of students who signed up on NYU Engage for the Mexican Student Association’s third annual quinceañera.  

MexSA hosts one quinceañera per year for a student who wasn’t able to have one at the age of 15. The coming-of-age celebration usually consists of a religious ceremony, father-daughter dance, choreographed performances and a tradition of changing from flats to heels and giving her childhood toy away to signal her entrance into adulthood. The event was organized in collaboration with several other on-campus groups, including the Class Activities Board and La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity.

Falcón was selected from six applicants after submitting a Pinterest mood board and being interviewed on her willingness to participate in typical quinceañera activities. Her vision for the celebration took on a red and gold color palette, which manifested in glittery golden champagne bottles and glasses, red and white flowers topped with golden butterflies and glowing red candles that decorated the long dinner tables lining the sides of the room — along with her   ornate red ball gown adorned with gold highlights and a jeweled tiara borrowed from a previous MexSA co-president, who wore it for her own quince.

“I hope everybody is enjoying this as much as I am,” Falcón told attendees in her speech. “I want to thank my court and the e-board. I’m extremely grateful to have met amazing people here, and I hope we are all able to hang out afterwards.”

Alongside Falcón was her seven-member court of honor — typically a mix of close family members and friends — that came together to plan the event over the last two months, though the celebrations often take over a year to organize. Together, they performed a variety of dances, including a traditional waltz and a baile sorpresa, switching from formal wear to halter tops, jeans and cowboy boots. The dances were choreographed by Elizabeth Bravo and Demecis Juarez — CAS seniors and members of NYU’s Mexican Folklorico club. 

“Quinceañera is a very important tradition for Mexican families, for Latino families, for South America in general — but for Mexicans, this is a right passage.” CAS junior and MexSA historian Mayri Clemente, who was also a member of the court of honor, told WSN. “This is when you become a woman.”

Quinceañeras generally have many family members in attendance, but MexSA only allotted seven family member spots for Falcón — who was crowned by her mother and enjoyed a dance with her father and each of her two siblings.  

“Within our culture, we value this a lot, MexSA outreach chair and CAS junior Alondra Padilla Bahena, another court member, told WSN. “For someone not having that, for us to be able to provide that for them, is something that not only touches us so dearly to heart but also other Mexican students on campus.”

Contact Emma Dognin at [email protected].