Lindsay Charles let out a slight gasp, her eyes wide with surprise, when her name was announced on Tuesday Oct. 29.
This was no ordinary moment.
She was immediately surrounded with hugs and congratulations, as an audience broke out into cheers and applause when Tournament of Roses President Ed Morales broke the news at the Tournament of Roses in Pasadena.
Lindsay Charles will be the 2025 Rose Queen on Jan. 1 Tournament of Rose Parade.
With her royal court of six princesses standing by her side, and a proud audience of family, friends and community members looking on, Charles stepped forward to accept the Mikimoto crown and to embrace her new role as the 106th Rose Queen.
A senior at Westridge School and resident of San Marino, Charles serves as the jumps captain for her school’s track and field team, and co-leads the Food Chain Green Guerrillas club and Multicultural/Multiracial Affinity.She is fluent in Mandarin and enjoys a range of interest, from gardening, neuroscience, hiking, journaling, drawing to collecting art.
She plans to study environment science or neuroscience at university.
For more than 100 years, the Rose Court has represented the heart and spirit of the Rose Parade on New Year’s Day.
The Pasadena Tournament of Roses announced Lindsay Charles, a senior at Westridge School, as the 2025 Rose Queen. @PasStarNews @RoseParade pic.twitter.com/PAmKuJ5dg1
— Teresa Y. Liu (@yinmengliu25) October 29, 2024
This year’s court, now complete with the crowning of the queen, includes: Simone Ball from Arcadia High School, Saniyah Brunston from John Muir High School, Charles from Westridge School, Lara Georgian from Mayfield Senior School, Kate Kelly from La Cañada High School, Lisette Parker from Maranatha High School and Natalia Pradhan from Flintridge Preparatory School.
As ambassadors for the Tournament, the Pasadena community and the greater Los Angeles area, each of the members brings unique strengths and represents Pasadena’s vibrant community, Tournament officials said.
Since their names were announced several weeks ago, these seven young ladies, who receive a $7,500 educational scholarship, have been immersed in rigorous training in public speaking, etiquette and other skills essential to their roles.
But before the Rose Court waves to millions on their float rolling down Colorado Boulevard on New Year’s Day, their calendar will fill up with community functions and media appearances.
Lindsay Charles, second from right, along with her fellow Rose Court members, reacts as Tournament of Roses President Ed Morales announced her name as the Rose Queen for the Rose Parade, Oct. 29, 2024. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht)
Charles’ path to becoming the Rose Queen was anything but easy. This year, hundreds of applicants from 49 Pasadena-area schools competed for coveted spots on the Rose Court.
After multiple rounds of interviews, the field was narrowed to 25 finalists. From this group, seven were selected on Sept. 30 to form the Rose Court, and now, a Rose Queen has emerged from among them.
The finalists were selected based on several factors, such as academic achievement, community and school involvement, public speaking ability and youth leadership, Tournament officials said.
In recent history, applicants have had to reside within the Pasadena Area Community College District and be a full-time resident and a senior in high school or enrolled as a full-time student (taking at least 12 units) in any accredited school or college. They must also identify as female, be at least 17 by Dec. 31 and not older than 21 before Jan. 5, with a minimum GPA of 2.0.
But this year, for the 136th parade themed “Best Day Ever!”, the Tournament has expanded its requirement for the applicant pool beyond the PCC District’s boundaries. Applicants from zip codes in San Gabriel and Alhambra as well as areas of El Sereno, Eagle Rock and Highland Park are now eligible to apply for the Rose Court.
The Rose Court will ride down Colorado Boulevard on Jan. 1, 2025, during the 136th Rose Parade, which is themed “Best Day Ever!” They will also attend the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the 111th Rose Bowl Game later that day.