Stephanie, like any other college girl, has filled her closet to the brim with clothes, but what’s peeking out at the cracks aren’t tank tops or ripped jeans. Instead, there are custom-made princess costumes valued at $450 each.
On one hanger is a petite, dark green elf-like costume with matching green slip-on shoes and on another is a light blue floor-length gown with a snowflake pattern. Each costume holds special meaning to Stephanie, but the one that is the most special to her happens to be the most classic one, one that would easily be recognizable to any generation.
That dress, the most puffy and princess-like of them all, is baby-blue all around, from its elbow-length gloves to its headband, which holds together its blonde wing shaped into a bun. While Cinderella had her fairy godmother magically give her a dress overnight, Stephanie’s dress is one that she worked months for, one that she earned through 40 hours of volunteering at a children’s hospital.
When she first got the dress last year, Stephanie slid into it carefully. She went through several measurements the past few months, but she was still worried that the dress might not fit her. She heard stories of other girls having to send their dresses back to get them taken in or because they were missing a few gems, but like magic, her dress fit perfectly and every piece was intact.
Stephanie hadn’t been trained to put her wig or makeup on by herself just yet, so she was just standing there in her room with just the dress on.
“When I first dressed up, I was very much a college student dressing as a princess not necessarily the real one,” Stephanie tells me now.
It’s hard to imagine that Stephanie was once nervous about dressing up as Cinderella. Today, she perfectly emobodies the character, from her innocent mannerisms to never-ending knowledge of the character to her altruistic nature.
Stephanie Fallon, a double major in early childhood and special education at Temple University, is the president of A Moment of Magic, an organization that tains volunteers to dress up as fictional characters to visit sick children at hospitals. You would think that dressing up as a Disney princess would be every girl’s dream, but not Stephanie’s. She wasn’t a Disney fanatic or even a theater person, she was just a girl who loved children, and she would do anything to make them smile. But, Stephanie admits, the position can have its emotional days.
“I was really opened to the world of pediatric cancer and how devastating it can be,” she says. “I didn’t realize how sick some of the children were going to be.”
Stephanie says that since joining the organization, she has become an advocate for pediatric cancer. Learning about the difficulties that come with pediatric cancer, such as lack of funding and the harsh treatments, is what actually motivated founder Kylee McGrane to launch the organization back in 2014. While the national organization launched five years ago, A Moment of Magic didn’t reach Temple University until the spring of 2018. That was when Stephanie helped launch the chapter at Temple as President. She has since trained other students to become princesses and superheroes themselves.
The Temple chapter has done so much since launching. Besides visiting hospitals such as St. Peter’s University, DuPont, and Jersey Shore Medical Center, the organization has also partnered with the Philadelphia Eagles and Philadelphia Phillies for events such as Huddle Up for Autism.
Most recently, the Temple chapter had its first-ever annual egg hunt for Easter on Temple University’s campus. Due to the organization’s dedication to service, Student Activites at Temple University honored A Moment of Magic with the Group Excellence in Community Service award.
Stephanie has also been recognized for her strong committment and volunteerism. A Moment of Magic national headquarters awarded her with the honor of National Volunteer of the Year for completing over 350 volunteer hours and 50 character visits, as well as serving over 3,000 children.
Stephanie says that her studies in early childhood and special education at Temple University have helped her become better at interacting with children.
“I think if anything, my background in education has more helped me with a Moment of Magic than A Moment of Magic has helped me with my career.”
She will continue to work with a Moment of Magic. Although just a year ago, there were just a few members beside her, this upcoming fall semester, Stephanie will work alongside a whole group of new princesses and superheroes, making a one moment at a time.
To find out more information, visit amomentofmagic.org.