Seven Princesses Begin Their Reign as the 2010 Royal Court for the Pasadena Tournament of Roses(R)

Seven Princesses Begin Their Reign as the 2010 Royal Court for the Pasadena Tournament of Roses(R)

Month-Long Tryout Process Began with More than 1,100 Pasadena-area Young Ladies

PASADENA, Calif., Oct. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- The seven members of the 2010 Tournament of Roses Royal Court were announced today at Tournament House from a group of 26 finalists. As ambassadors of the Tournament of Roses, the Royal Court members will attend more than 150 community and media functions leading up to the 121st Rose Parade® and 96th Rose Bowl Game® on Friday, January 1, 2010.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091012/LA91049-a)

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091012/LA91049-b)

The seven Rose Princesses are: Natalie Anne Innocenzi (#132), 16, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy; Katherine Margarita Hernandez (#352), 18, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy; June Ko (#427), 17, Arcadia High School; Lauren Samantha Rogers (#218), 17, Blair High School; Kinsey Elizabeth Stuart (#469), 18, Pasadena City College; Ashley Renee Thaxton (#92), 17, John Marshall Fundamental High School; Michelle Louise Van Wyk (#341), 17, La Canada High School.

The announcement follows a month-long process in which more than 1,100 Pasadena-area young women participated. Selections were based on a range of qualities including public speaking ability, poise, academic achievement, community involvement and personality.

"We are very pleased with our final choice and officially welcome the Royal Court members who will be representing the Tournament of Roses for the 2010 events. These young ladies were selected from a pool of the most talented and poised in the Pasadena area. They are truly remarkable and will be wonderful ambassadors for our Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game," said Alex Aghajanian, Chairman of the Queen and Court Committee.

Natalie Anne Innocenzi, 16, is an Arcadia resident and a senior at Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy. She is on the junior varsity tennis team at her school and participates in track and field. She is a member of the Amnesty International Club and as a member of the board for the Alzheimer's Foundation of America Teens, Natalie started an Alzheimer's Awareness week at her school. She has lived in the Pasadena-area her entire life and plans to stay in California for college where she'll study occupational or physical therapy with an emphasis in gerontology. Her parents are Robert and Jeannette Innocenzi. She has one sibling, Kevin, 14.

Katherine Margarita Hernandez, 18, is a Pasadena resident and attends Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy. She is president of the science club, a member of the student council and business editor of the yearbook. She enjoys running and is in her second year as team captain of her school's varsity track and field team. Katherine has been honored as a scholar by the National Hispanic Recognition Program, and as a student-athlete in the Mission League All-American Team. She plans to study biology in college and pursue a career in medicine. In her spare time, she volunteers at Plaza de la Raza, a non-profit educational center focused on providing enrichment programs. Her parents are Roland and Margarita Hernandez. She has two older siblings, Scott, 22, and Charlie, 20.

June Ko, 17, is a senior at Arcadia High School and resides in Arcadia. She is the publicity secretary for the Senior Men and Women, an organization of seniors who participate in community service activities; the president of LEO (Leadership, Excellence, Opportunity) Club, a worldwide organization dedicated to serving those in need; and has been a school site Leadership-team representative for 3 years. She is also actively involved with Apache News, a student-run television news broadcast, and has played the violin for 12 years. June plans to attend New York University or the University of Southern California where she'll study to become a broadcast journalist. Her parents are Chan and Hye Ko, and she has one sister, Diane, 22.

Lauren Samantha Rogers, 17, is a senior at Blair High School and lives in Altadena. She is active on her school's swim team and has made it to the Rio Hondo League finals for the last three years. She is a member of the Bright Futures Scholars Support Program, a leadership program that promotes public speaking and has participated in the Rotary International 4-way speech contest. She previously volunteered at Huntington Memorial Hospital. Lauren plans to attend the University of California at San Jose and study speech pathology. She enjoys swimming, reading and playing Sudoku. Her parents are Douglas and Myran Rogers. She has one sibling, Brandon Scott, 24.

Kinsey Elizabeth Stuart, 18, resides in South Pasadena and is studying psychology in her first year at Pasadena City College (PCC). In high school she was the captain of the varsity cheerleading team, a youth swim coach and the vice president of Be the Change Club. At PCC, she is a member of the Student Activities Committee where she assists in planning school events. Kinsey enjoys volunteering with her cheer squad for diabetes walks and races to raise money for breast cancer. After college, she'd like to become a psychologist. Her parents are Robert and Elizabeth Stuart; she has two siblings Andrew, 16 and Kalyn, 8.

Ashley Renee Thaxton, 17, is an Altadena resident and attends John Marshall Fundamental High School. She is National Honor Society president, and librarian for the musical club. Ashley is a part of her school's marching band and her church worship team. She is passionate about musical theatre and plans to pursue it as a career. She hopes to obtain her masters in education and teach theatre and music in a public school or with a nonprofit organization. It is her goal to establish and facilitate a nonprofit organization that will offer performing and visual arts training, along with tutoring and counseling services to disadvantaged youth. Her parents are David and Rachel Thaxton. She has one sibling, Colleen, 13.

Michelle Louise Van Wyk, 17, attends La Canada High School and resides in La Canada. She is a member of the National Honor Society and the varsity song squad at her high school. She serves as the National Charity League's senior class president, and is actively involved in Girl Scouts where she has completed the Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards and has received various leadership awards. Michelle has danced ballet since the age of three. She hopes to study communications at a four-year university, and enjoys dancing, art and going to the beach. Her parents are David and Judy Van Wyk, and she has one younger brother, Matthew, 13.

The 2010 Rose Queen® will be announced at Tournament House on Tuesday, October 20 at 9:30 a.m. The newly selected Rose Queen and Royal Court will reign for an entire year until the new court is selected in October of 2010.

The Pasadena Tournament of Roses is a volunteer organization that annually hosts the Rose Parade® and Rose Bowl Game® presented by Citi. The 121st Rose Parade themed 2010: A Cut Above the Rest will take place Friday, Jan. 1, 2010, at 8 a.m. (PST) featuring majestic floral floats, high-stepping equestrian units and spirited marching bands. Following the Rose Parade, the 96th Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi will kick off at 2:10 p.m. and feature an exciting match-up between two of the top teams in the country.

On January 7, the Tournament of Roses will also host the No. 1 and No. 2 BCS-ranked teams in the 2010 Citi BCS National Championship Game. The Game will kick off at 5 p.m. (PST) from the historic Rose Bowl Stadium. For additional information on the Tournament of Roses please visit the official website at www.tournamentofroses.com.

CONTACT: PASADENA TOURNAMENT HILL AND KNOWLTON, INC.
OF ROSES ASSOCIATION Carolyn Hamamchian
Caryn Eaves or (949) 223-2301
Vanessa Flores
(626) 449-4100

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091012/LA91049-a
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091012/LA91049-b
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN12,13
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Tournament of Roses

CONTACT: Caryn Eaves or Vanessa Flores, both of Tournament of Roses,
+1-626-449-4100; or Carolyn Hamamchian of Hill and Knowlton, Inc.,
+1-949-223-2301, for Tournament of Roses

Web Site: http://www.tournamentofroses.com/

-------
Profile: intent