An honored tradition: Tournament of Roses unveils Royal Court

Seven young ladies were chosen Monday to serve on the Pasadena Tournament of Roses 2023 Royal Court, which will attend dozens of community events and serve as local ambassadors leading up to the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game.

Members of the Royal Court were chosen from among hundreds of original applicants. The selections are made based on criteria including public speaking ability, academic achievement, youth leadership and community and school involvement.

All seven members of the court receive $7,500 educational scholarships.

The Royal Court members are:

— Salia Baligh, a Pasadena resident and senior at Alverno Heights Academy;

— Bella Ballard, an Altadena resident and senior at The Ogburn School;

— Michelle Cortez-Peralta, a Pasadena resident and senior at Pasadena High School;

— Adrian Crick, an Altadena resident and senior at Sequoyah School;

— Zoe Denoncourt, a Pasadena resident and senior at Marshall Fundamental;

— Sahanna Rajinikanthan, an Arcadia resident and senior at Arcadia High School; and

— Uma Wittenberg, a La Cañada resident and senior at La Cañada High School.

One of the seven court members will be chosen as the 104th Rose Queen. That selection will be announced Oct. 25.

The Royal Court will ride on a float in the 134th Rose Parade on Jan. 2 and attend the 109th Rose Bowl Game. The parade’s theme is “Turning the Corner.”

More from Pasadena Independent