West Branch , Michigan ( CNN ) -- A Michigan teen is making the most of a homecoming prank that she says left her feeling suicidal . Whitney Kropp , a self-described outcast with just a handful of close friends at Ogemaw Heights High School , was picked to be the female representative of the sophomore class royalty . It certainly came as a shock . But hours later , the 16-year-old learned classmates voted for her as a joke . She spent the night in tears . `` I 'm like , 'Wow , I feel like trash , ' '' Kropp said . `` I feel like I 'm a little thing that no one really cares about . '' That night , she said , she contemplated ending her life `` right here , right now . '' But thanks to a push from her family and friends , she decided to embrace what happened and turn the tables . `` I can just prove all these kids wrong ... I 'm not the joke everyone thinks I am . '' Worthy homecoming for bullied teen . The West Branch-Rose City Area Schools superintendent , Dan Cwayna , declined CNN 's request for an interview . Opting to stay on the homecoming court was a tough decision , Kropp said . That bold move prompted local businesses to donate her homecoming gown and shoes , while a salon gave her hair a new 'do . ' A Facebook support page created for her has more than 96,000 `` likes . '' Sitting on her front porch in rural Michigan , Kropp held her head high with what her mom described as a new and overwhelming sense of confidence . `` It is absolutely awesome to see her stand up , '' a beaming Bernice Kropp said . `` And it 's so cool to see e-mails ... we 're getting from parents and other students from all over the place telling her stories and how it helped them and it touched them . My daughter is out there as an inspiration to a lot of people , and it 's a really cool thing . '' The teen says the outpouring of support caught her off guard . `` I thought before , 'Oh , no one cares about me , ' '' she said . `` I thought not even my own brother and sister care . But they 're proving me they do care . The world is proving they do , well not really care about me , but they care about the situation . So I 'm happy . I 'm really honored . '' WNEM : Community steps up for bullied teen . In fact , her sister , Alivia Kropp , was the first person to spread the word and encourage her to speak out . `` I told her ... you 've got the courage , you 've got the strength to go do it , so go do it and have fun , '' she said . She said the night her sister spent crying was horrible . `` It 's very hard to see someone hurt and upset , and you want to do everything in your power to make sure they 're not that way , '' Alivia Kropp said . Homecoming coronation will take place at halftime of the football game Friday night , where the teen 's smile will be front and center as family , and an entire community , surround her with support . The dance , something she and her boyfriend have been looking forward to all year , is Saturday . When asked where she got the courage to stand up unashamed in front of the whole world , she pointed to her heart . `` Right here . ''
Classmates pick teen as female representative of sophomore class royalty . The 16-year-old later learns they picked her as a joke . `` I 'm like , 'Wow , I feel like trash , ' '' Whitney Kropp says . She decides to attend the homecoming anyway , prompting an outpouring of support .