When Ashley McGlynn was first crowned prom queen at Glenelg High School's prom April 26 at the Sheraton hotel in Baltimore, she burst into tears.

The emotions weren't about wearing the crown and winning the title. The win held a much deeper significance for the 17-year-old.

McGlynn's late grandmother, Judy Helton Pool, was Glenelg's first prom queen in 1959.

"It wasn't just about the title at all, it was about her and her story and all the times we've had," Ashley said.

Ashley lost her grandmother Oct. 19, 2005, when Pool and her husband, Wayne, McGlynn's grandfather, were in a motorcycle accident near Harper's Ferry, W.Va. Wayne survived, but was severely injured and remains paralyzed below the waist.

"We were so close," Ashley said of her grandmother. "She knew how to change a sad time to a good time. I miss her."

Ashley's mother said that her mother and daughter shared the same sense of humor. "They laughed all the time," Pam McGlynn said.

The grandmother and granddaughter also shared purple as their favorite color. To honor her grandmother, Ashley wore a purple dress to the prom.

The two also both received superlative awards in their yearbooks. Pool was Miss Glenelg while Ashley was named Class Clown.

"She was so cool in high school," Ashley said of her grandmother.

Ashley felt a solid connection to Glenleg's prom of 49 years ago.

"It was an amazing feeling. I knew (my grandmother) was right there with me."

Generation education

Wayne Pool recalls the days where there were only two high schools in Howard County: Glenelg High School, which Judy attended, and Howard High School, which he attended.

He was fond of drag racing; Judy was the daughter of a Southern Baptist minister.

"Have you seen the movie 'Grease?' I lived it," Pool said, likening himself to John Travolta's bad-boy character, Danny, and his wife to Olivia Newton-John's sweet Sandy from the popular 1970s musical.

Despite their differences, Wayne knew Judy would be his.

"As soon as my eyes seen hers, I knew that was it for me," Wayne said.

The two were engaged at the time of the prom and Wayne was his then-fiancee's escort.

Wayne recalls dining with mutual friends prior to the prom at the Peter Pan Inn, now the Cracked Claw Restaurant at Peter Pan, in Frederick.

The couple then headed to Glenelg's gym, where the Hawaiian-themed prom was held, complete with balloons, streamers and a band called "The Continentals."

These days, prom is a much larger, flashier production with the disc jockey spinning the latest hits in elaborate ballroom venues.

McGlynn's grandparents continue to play a vital role in shaping her future plans.

She will attend James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va., in the fall, where she will study occupational therapy.

"The grandkids learned a lot cause they were there all the time," Pam said of her father's recovery at various hospitals in the area after his accident.

"I went to some of his therapy things," Ashley added, and said that watching those sessions inspired her career path.

As for her grandmother, Ashley said Judy will always be a guiding force in her life.

"She helped me to be who I am today. I just want to make her proud," she said.

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