Irene Maddox, Eagle Rock High School (ERHS) senior, said she has been watching Pasadena’s iconic Rose Parade since she was 4 or 5. On New Year’s Day, she will reign at the parade as the first Rose Queen from Eagle Rock in 60 years.
“I always watched the parade on TV and the Queen and Court float was always kind of the focal point of the parade for me,” Maddox said. “Since then, I decided that I was going to try out to be on the court.”
According to the Pasadena Tournament of Roses (PTOR) Association website, the Rose Court is a group of seven women selected based on leadership and public speaking skills as well as academic and community involvement. According to the website, each member of the court receives a $7,500 academic scholarship and rides on a float during the Rose Parade on New Year’s Day.
Terry Madigan, the president of the PTOR Association, said there will be 700,000 people lining the route and 50 million people watching from 60 countries. Madigan said the Rose Court will join him on the field during the Rose Bowl coin toss.
According to her biography, Irene Maddox is the editor-in-chief of her school’s newspaper, The Eagle’s Scream, founder and president of the school’s Korean Culture Club, secretary of Model United Nations, a youth group leader at the Christian Assembly Church and the captain of ERHS’ varsity swim and varsity water polo teams.
Grace Maddox, her mother, said Irene used to read the biographies of the Rose Queens as a child.
“The Rose Court, the Queen and the princesses, they were her role models,” Grace Maddox said.
According to Madigan, the position of Rose Queen is more like a team captain than royalty.
“The queen really is the glue that kind of holds them all together and leads them from within the court,” Madigan said.
Madigan said the selection of the Rose Queen begins in September when a pool of hundreds of applicants is narrowed down to the seven-person Rose Court, and then to the one Rose Queen.
“It’s a really difficult process to figure out, ‘who is the leader among these leaders?’” Madigan said. “One individual, just little by little, starts to feel more like they’re leading the group from within the group.”
According to Madigan, Irene Maddox established herself as the leader among leaders early on during a public appearance in Newport Beach.
“If one of the individual court members appeared that they were either standing a little bit back or not fully engaging […] Irene just had a unique ability to pull that person into the conversation,” Madigan said. “That really is the chief role of the Rose Queen […] to ensure that the court is functioning as a unit.”
Madigan said members of the Rose Court serve as the official ambassadors of the Tournament of Roses, making about 70 public appearances between their announcement in early October and early January.
According to Irene Maddox, these public appearances have mostly been meant to promote the Rose Parade. Irene Maddox said she has met actor Jaafar Jackson, who played Michael Jackson in “Michael,” and gone to Disneyland with the court. Irene Maddox said her favorite events are talking with kids who may someday apply.
Irene Maddox said her family has been integral to her becoming Rose Queen, providing a lot of support through the process.
“Being on the Rose Court has made me a lot closer to my parents,” Irene Maddox said. “In between interview rounds, we would figure out ‘Oh, maybe they’ll ask this question, or maybe they’ll ask you this.’”
Grace Maddox said she immigrated from South Korea before she had her daughter.
“You could come to this country not speaking a word of English,” Grace Maddox said. “And someday you could have a child that will become a Rose Queen.”
Irene Maddox said the process has brought her closer to her younger sister, Erin Maddox, who she said could join the Rose Court one day.
“They’re like this,” Grace Maddox said as she crossed her fingers together. “So they are […] what do you call it?”
“Double trouble,” Irene Maddox said.
Madigan said he has watched the seven members of the Rose Court inspire future generations every year for 35 years.
“I heard it from every single one of these Rose Court members, that they can remember the first time they either met or saw a member of the Rose Court,” Madigan said. “I’m really excited to see the next generation of young women who come up.”
Irene Maddox will be waving from the float with the rest of the Rose Court on the day of the Rose Parade, however, she said she hopes her role on that day goes beyond just pageantry.
“It’s not all gowns and crowns,” Irene Maddox said. “The Rose Court really were role models and inspiration for me. And I think that the girls that might be watching the parade this year, hopefully, are inspired by me and my court.”
Contact Nathan Bae at nbae@oxy.edu
