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A teen boy and girl wearing formal clothes for Homecoming dance and a man in a suit looking surprised.

Steve Harvey Learns Why Teen Asked Boy With Autism to Dance

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Bullies Play Homecoming Prank on Boy With Autism - So This Beauty Queen Steps In

One teen got the last laugh after bullies targeted him in a high school prank.

High school is a formative time that offers different experiences for different kids. There are many events, like prom and homecoming, that help mark that time and create lasting memories. So when those memories are tainted by bullies, it’s a big deal.


Unfortunately, a teen named Michael Conrad was the target of such bullying, when kids decided to play a mean prank. Fortunately, a Miss Utah hopeful found out about it and decided to take matters into her own hands.

A Mean Prank

White rose corsage pinned onto a black suitwhite rose on black textilePhoto by Bradley Pisney on Unsplash


It all started when Conrad, a teen with autism and ADHD, found eggshells on his front porch. His house had been egged, but he found a note from his friend. “I’m sorry for the mess. But how about I make it up to you by taking you to Homecoming?” it read. The note was signed by one of his female friends.

However, Conrad’s friend had no idea about the note, so when he asked her to the dance, she apologized and said she already had a date. Conrad’s mother, Jennifer Conrad, said her son tried to shake the incident off, but she was understandably furious.

“I was out for blood. Mama bear was awoken,” she told Fox News.

A Stranger Steps In

Dexonna Talbot, who went to Taylorsville High School with Conrad, heard about the incident from her mom. The Miss Great Salt Lake recipient, who was later crowned Miss Utah, wanted to show the bullies that their behavior was not okay.

“The second I heard about this, I knew I wanted to do something,” Talbot told KSL. “I automatically broke down into tears because just thinking about the fact that someone would go out of their way to make someone else feel bad is so heartbreaking to me.”

So, Talbot showed up in Conrad’s history class and asked him to go to Homecoming with her. This time, there was no prank involved, and she held a sign and brought him his favorite candies as well.

“I really wanted to make sure it was at the school. So that way those people who have been bullying could see something positive was coming from this and that they weren’t winning,” she explained to Fox.

A Beautiful Date

As Conrad later explained on The Steve Harvey Show, the homecoming dance was his first date. It was also a memorable one, in which he and Talbot first went to the arcade, and then later grabbed some dinner “at a very fancy restaurant” together. They also posed for photos and had a lovely time overall.

“This has been great. We’ve seen the other end so many times. You always worry about your kids but to have this gesture, we’re going to be eternally indebted to Dexonna for this,” Conrad’s dad added on the show. “I’ve noticed a confidence in Michael throughout all of this.”

As for Conrad’s mom, she calls her son’s homecoming date her angel.

“This wasn’t a publicity stunt of any kind for her. She’s just got a tender heart. And she has really made my son's year. So, thank you!” she added to Fox.

Making a Difference

This young woman proves that it doesn’t take much to make a difference. All it takes is standing up for what’s right and actually doing something about it. There were probably tons of kids who would have loved to have gone to Homecoming with her, but Talbot made sure to choose a person who probably wouldn’t have been asked otherwise. In doing so, she not only made a difference in his life but also in his family’s life.

It’s just a nice reminder that we can all make a difference in this world if we keep our eyes open and look for opportunities.

Being there for someone when they’re down, standing up for someone who is being bullied, or speaking out against injustices are all ways to make a small and easy difference. And at the end of the day, you never know how much that tiny act could mean to someone else.

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