Every year on Jan. 1st, millions of people tune in to watch the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade, appropriately named “America’s New Year Celebration.” Each fall, hundreds of girls apply to be members of the highly coveted Rose Court, and after a month-long application process, senior Anya Patel was chosen as one of the 28 finalists.

Not only do the seven selected applicants, aged 17 to 21, get the chance to ride on a float in the nationally-televised parade, but the girls also attend charity and community events, meet local leaders and receive an academic scholarship.

“As I grew up, I looked forward to seeing the Rose Princesses on television every year,” shared Patel, “So when I saw the ad online, I thought: ‘might as well apply.”

The rigorous process included four elimination rounds with interviews increasing in length from 15 seconds to four minutes as the candidate pool narrowed. Applicants are anonymous throughout the proceedings, referred to by judges only as their assigned number to prevent bias in the selection process.

“I think the most challenging part was not knowing what to expect. You go into these interviews without knowing what they’re going to ask you,” recalled Patel, “and you have to think carefully because you can’t reveal anything about who you might be or where you live.”

Even though she wasn’t selected for the court, making it to the final round is a big accomplishment in itself. Additionally, this unique experience gave applicants the opportunity to practice abilities such as public speaking and self-advocacy.

“I definitely gained interview skills, especially important with college interviews coming up,” Patel added. “I also met a ton of really sweet girls from a variety of schools that I wouldn’t have otherwise gotten to meet.”

Although very time-consuming, Patel found applying both fun and rewarding. “I would recommend it,” she noted. “There hasn’t been a girl from Poly [on the court] since 2013, so I think it is very exciting for a future Poly girl to try out.”