Rose Queen Ashley Moreno Cherishes Bond with Her Court

On New Year’s Day, when the parade festivities draw to a close and people who’ve spent the night on Colorado Boulevard groggily walk to their cars and people at home settle in to a new year and football fans from near and far prepare themselves for another Rose Bowl game, a group of seven young women will feel a sense of sadness, because the moment is here - with the conclusion of the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl game, their reign will slowly wane.

But for Rose Queen Ashley Moreno, being a Rose Queen or Rose Princess is just a title; it’s simply just a crown on your head or beads around your neck. It’s material, and it does not compare to the deep bond these seven beautiful girls forged in the months before and will continue to have years after their encounter with each other as participants in one of the world’s most recognized parades.

“You think that in a few months there will be somebody else to take you place,” said Moreno. “We will always be the court of 2005, and we will always stay in touch. We have been a part of an incredible sorority - a sisterhood - and that will never go away.”

Sitting in the Queen’s Conference Room at Tourna-ment House in Pasadena, the La Cañada High School student talks with enthusiasm. The way she speaks is sharp, giving clear and concise answers. She knows her position well and understands that with it comes a lot of responsibility and dedication, though she admits being a Rose Queen is a busier job than she anticipated.

Take, for example, the training she and her court have received. From public speaking to learning how to properly stand up and sit down at the dinner table, each girl has been given the lessons she needs to carry herself properly when interacting with the public - lessons that are short of what Anne Hathaway’s character, Mia Thermopolis, had to go through in “The Princess Diaries,” minus, of course, the makeover.

“The training we’ve received is incredible,” she said. “I feel more comfortable and settled then I thought I would be.”

Ashley feels fortunate for this training, because it has allowed her to rise above her fear of public speaking and overcome the uncertainty of speaking with someone she has never met before. Ashley is a talker, and she is not afraid to admit that. In fact, Ashley bestows the title of “talker” to the rest of her court. So when it came time to formalize that skill, the girls had no trouble. Ashley gives Pasadena City College instructor Rosemary Scott credit in helping her and her court hone their communication skills.

“She helps tailor our speeches or our answers so that they will be more interesting to our audience,” said Ashley. “[Scott] teaches us to be more comfortable. It is so important that things come from the heart. She is teaching us new skills and wants us to polish up the skills we already have.”

Lessons in communicating are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of how much training the girls have received. According to Ashley, there are fashion coordinators who make sure the court is dressed appropriately for any event they attend, as well as lessons in poise and modeling skills. There are etiquette trainers who show the girls proper table manners, such as the correct way to get up and sit down when people enter a room.

“Those have been very useful,” said Ashley. “We go to a lot of dinners and luncheons, so this knowledge comes in handy.”

Ashley’s experience with language is twofold since she has a limited ability to speak Spanish. Her mother is fluent in Spanish, having learned it in school and while on La Cañada Presbyterian mission trips with Ashley to Mexico. Ashley began speaking Spanish before she learned to speak English. Ironically, however, she lost her grasp of the language when she started school. Given Ashley’s Latin roots, the Spanish media has had a field day interviewing her.

“It was a lot of fun to be interviewed in Spanish,” said Ashley. “Kara [Murphy] is half Spanish, so we got a kick out of being interviewed in Spanish. It was all part of the experience.”

Ashley has come to realize that with the position of Rose Queen comes a lot of attention. The queen and her court exist under a microscope. No matter where they go and no matter if they are at an official event or just walking down the street, they are recognized.

“We are always ‘on,’ so to speak,” Ashley said. But the attention doesn’t even come close to fazing her. “It’s actually a lot of fun.”

Walking around the second floor of Tournament House, one can see the rich history of the parade, from past grand marshals, to presidents, football teams and, of course, portraits of Rose Queens. Black and white photos adorn several walls in Tournament House, each a testament to a young woman, who, in her time, probably wondered about future Rose Queens and what her portrait would mean to them.

“This is a wonderful place to almost grow up for a part of your life,” said Ashley. “You’re a part of history. You’re able to make your mark on the world. That’s something that’s still kind of mind-boggling to me. It’s incredible that people will come back long after we’re all gone to see pictures of us. It’s a really special thing that very few things can measure up to.”

In becoming Rose Queen, Ashley has had to sacrifice most of her time to her duties. This means that school has had to take a backseat in terms of how many hours per day she can actually dedicate to getting her work done; from time to time she can be faced with an enormous workload. Ashley credits her instructors, counselors and principal with giving her the opportunity to complete assignments when time permits.

“The stack of paperwork ? it was fine for a while,” Ashley said. “I’m getting better about time management.”

When she does return to her normal routine, Ashley is considering USC as her college of choice, admitting that she is a California girl and would prefer to stay close to home.

“I’m spoiled that way, and I have no trouble admitting it,” she said.

Ashley is considering a career in theater or sports medicine. Ashley, along with court member Princess Kara Murphy, are involved in advanced theater at La Cañada High, and in fact, had to give up their roles for their court duties during a recent production.

And while Ashley can count on the support of her teachers, she can also count on the support she receives from her friends. Her friends are loyal and supportive, she says. And while many of her chums did try out for a position on the Rose Court (some of them made it to finals), Ashley says there is no bitterness or jealousy among them, only congratulatory expressions, smiles and an urge to “always look at pictures,” Ashley said, laughing.

“They’re really curious about what goes on,” said Ashley. “It’s really a nice environment to come back to.”

Ashley recounts her family being overwhelmed at all the media attention and new responsibilities that came with her new position. Her sister, Claire, a middle school student, has become interested in the day-to-day goings on of her elder sister’s position. It is really easy for her to feel left out and in a corner by herself, said Ashley.

“She said, ‘well since you’re Rose Queen, that means I have to be Miss Universe now,’” Ashley said. “She has to top me now. She wants to be Miss Universe or Miss America just to outdo me,” said Ashley, laughing.

Expect to see, one day, a book on the experiences of being a Rose Queen and Rose Princess, written through the eyes of the girls who experienced it firsthand. Ashley says that she and her court were brainstorming about writing a book - well they were joking about it at least. For Ashley, her experiences aren’t being written down in conventional “Dear Diary” form. Her thoughts are represented as bullet points that highlight particular moments of her day.

“Hopefully, sometime, I will get to write it all out,” Ashley said. “[Princess] Kara [Murphy] is journaling like mad; she is so good about that. But I am [just] writing little notes to myself.”

At the end of the day, Ashley can look back at the things she has accomplished, at the things she’d wish were accomplished, and at the days that lie ahead. However, her goal in life at this point is to take it one day at a time. Like the other members of her court, she realizes that the day is fast approaching when they will have to step aside for the next Rose Queen and her court. Jan. 1 is just one day out of the year. They have worked so hard for this and sacrificed so much of their time. But it was all well worth it, because in the end, the bond that they share will last decades.

“I am nothing without those six girls beside me,” said Ashley. “They keep me grounded, they are my safety net, my comfort zone, and without them this experience wouldn’t be what it is. We have the same mindset; it is not one individual person.”

And like Rose Queens before her, Ashley’s likeness will be hung up on the walls of Tournament House, forever a reminder of her faithful duty to the city of Pasadena and a glimmer in the eye of a future little girl or young woman who will look up at Ashley’s portrait and wonder what it would be like to be admired and looked up to by all - an encouragement to experience it for herself.