Fittingly for 2025 Rose Court princess and Arcadia High School senior Simone Ball, the theme for the upcoming parade is “Best Day Ever!”
Ball described being completely shocked when her name was called during the Rose Court announcement ceremony. Video of the ceremony captured Ball’s reaction of surprise followed by a smile and tears of joy.
“I think you can kind of hear it while I’m speaking I still smile when I think back to that day because it’s just one of my honestly best days ever,” Ball said.
Her connection to the Rose Parade began as a child when the floats made there way past her home to the staging area to prepare for the parade. Ball’s parents would point out the Rose Court float and when she entered high school they reminded her that she too could apply to be on the court.
One part of the process people may not realize, Ball said, is the connection that the court develops with the committee, which interviews and selects the court.
Through the interview process, retreats and community events they become like a second family, Ball said.
“It was just really sweet that now the committee that we were scared of they’re now like our second aunts, uncles, our moms, our dads and they really look out for us,” Ball said.
As well as connecting with the committee, Ball said, the members of the court have become like sisters through the process.
“It’s a true thing in which former courts have told us, where nobody really understands what you’re going through more than us all together,” Ball said. “I’m so glad because now I have these built in friends for life.”
Ball is captain of her school’s cheerleading team, member of the Period Poverty Club, a member of Hope Can Cure Cancer Club, a leader for Link Crew and a member of the Native Media Apprenticeship Program.
She aspires to become a news broadcaster and plans to study public relations or journalism at Chapman University, Loyola Marymount University, Syracuse University, UC Santa Barbara, USC or the University of Washington among others.
