It was all smiles, shock, cheers, and even some tears, as the names were announced.
"Honestly, I can't even put it into words. It's just amazing. I'm still shaking," said Keiko Rakin from Alhambra High School.
"It means so much to me. I grew up watching the Rose Court and the Rose Parade," said Sophia Ren from Arcadia High School.
The seven young women were each chosen to be part of the 2026 Rose Court. In total, 41 Pasadena schools participated in the month-long selection process, which takes into account academic achievement, leadership and community involvement.
The following members were chosen for the 2026 Rose Court:
- Livia dePaula - Temple City High School
- Serena Guo - Arcadia High School
- Riya Gupta - Cal Tech Institute
- Olivia Hargrove - Pasadena City College
- Keiko Rakin - Alhambra High School
- Sophia Ren - Arcadia High School
- Naira Wadley - John Muir High School
"This is honestly just a dream come true," said Olivia Hargrove from Pasadena City College.
"I couldn't believe it," said Serena Guo from Arcadia High School. "I had to look down and check my number."
The theme of this year's tournament of roses? "The magic in teamwork."
"As our community recovers and rebuilds from the devastating fires in January, we need teamwork perhaps now more than ever," said Mark Leavens, the president of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association.
One member of this year's court is from John Muir High School. Many of her peers were directly affected by the Eaton Fire.
"We've been through so much, and the resilience that we've been able to show has been great, and it's an honor to be able to represent that," said Naira Wadley.
Resilience, determination and drive were on display as each member of the court shared their dreams for the future.
"I really want to work at NASA. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Cañada -- I really hope to work there one day," said Riya Gupta from Caltech.
"I hope to become a human rights lawyer and work in non-profits," Rakin said.
Next, the 2026 Rose Court members will go through some additional training in the next few weeks before a queen is crowned in October.