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In Historic Vote, High School Names Student With Special Needs Prom Queen

'I was the prom queen,' Katie Shipley tells MTV News. 'It feels good!'

When high school senior Katie Shipley was born with an obscure chromosome disorder known as Trisomy 1 Mosaicism, doctors said she wouldn’t live to go to school.

Now, Shipley is not only about to graduate from Southridge High School in Oregon, but she was also named the school's prom queen — in the biggest landslide-vote the school has ever witnessed.

Knowing Shipley's love for princesses and the movie "Frozen," senior Courtney Travis knew she wanted Shipley to be nominated for prom princess, and began reaching out to find her the prom king she needed to make her a queen.

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She found Michael Parks, who also thought it was great idea.

“I really got to know [Shipley]," Parks told MTV News. "When you take the time to get to know other people and step out of your comfort zone, it really gives you opportunity to live for more than yourself."

Travis took a picture of the couple together and put it on her Twitter, explaining their plans for the prom. “It became very popular in the community,” she said.

Student Taylor Chapman and Shipley's other friend Tori Harman both really got involved with spreading awareness too, helping to publicize the story and get people excited for Shipley's prom coronation.

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On the day of prom, Shipley wore a dress with a purple skirt and a golden, glittery top. Harmon and a few of her other friends helped with her makeup, making sure she looked and felt like royalty.

Her grandmother, Joan Fraley said Shipley had a knack for making people fall in love with her. She said that Shipley has developmental delays and “a number of issues,” but what really sticks out to people is her infectious smile and jokester personality.

“When we first moved to Oregon from Florida, [Shipley] started with a group called the Beaverton Stars, and that’s a group of special needs children,” Fraley told MTV News. “They helped [Shipley] to get her self-confident and outgoing personality... the peer tutors who work with her are the ones who fell in love with [her] and pushed for her to be nominated. And everybody voted for her to be prom queen.”

When Shipley spoke to MTV News, she described her dress and the excitement of the evening. “I was the prom queen,” she said gleefully over the phone. “It feels good!”

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Fraley, who also attended the prom, said the night will stay with her always.

“I was standing there and the children were chanting her name,” she told MTV News. “They called her name as the new prom queen — I started crying. I had to find something to hold on to. It was amazing what these children have done for [Shipley.]”

After she was crowned, Shipley and Parks shared a dance as newly-minted prom royalty.

While prom night may be over, the school is not done letting everyone know how awesome Shipley is — They now have their sights set on getting their friend on "Ellen."

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Todd Corsetti, the principal at Southridge High School said that seeing Shipley's crowning and the energy and support of his students is one of his "proudest moments."

“I think teenagers have great hearts and are really looking to make the world a better place," Corsetti told MTV News. "As we finish our school year, it’s a great legacy to leave the other classes who come after them.”

Chapman said that working with Shipley and campaigning for her to be crowned has impacted not only herself, but "the whole community."

"She’s such a joy and such a diva to be around," Chapman said. "I really think the whole world should be able to have people like her in their life."

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