For the first time since 2016, a Poly senior, Elizabeth Rweyemamu, was chosen for the Rose Court, a 1905 tradition of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses. Senior Mia Goonetilleke was a finalist in the competition.
Every September, hundreds of young women between 17 and 21 years old from 41 schools in the Pasadena Area Community College District apply to serve on the court. The month-long interview process assesses each applicant’s ability to serve as an ambassador for the Pasadena community, concluding with a media event where the seven members of the court are announced out of 28 finalists.
“Now that I’ve been initiated, it’s been really exciting,” Rweyemamu shared. “We have a group of girls who are super intelligent and fun, so it’s been a really fun experience all around.”
Goonetilleke explained that the competition environment was supportive and the experience was more fun than competitive. She specifically described the day that the finalists were waiting for the court to be announced: “There was no bitterness or tension [or] stress in the room. We were all just getting to talk and catch up.”
The selection process is rigorous. Finalists participate in a four-round interview in front of a 12-person committee. Each girl has 15 seconds to answer the first round question and then receives progressively more time leading up to a four minute-long response for the final round.
Although the process seems intimidating, Rweyemamu reflected, “The questions really helped me realize the things I prioritize. When you’re asked something without being able to rehearse it or give the answer you think someone wants to hear, you’re giving exactly what comes to your head.”
“It’s hard to speak about yourself in front of 12 people that you don’t know, so I was proud that I could go up there and do that,” Goonetilleke remarked.
“It’s really a gift to be able to give back to my community,” Rweyemamu reflected. “All the schools that I’ve been at have been able to provide me with such a nice education… That’s always been something I valued. Now that I’ve been given this platform to serve in this unique way, serving the community is me giving back what I owe because the community has given me so much.”
