Flash forward to Jan. 2, 2023: It’s Princess Salia Baligh on the float carrying the 134th Tournament of Roses Royal Court. She is perfectly coiffed and prettily made up, gowned and crowned, a wash of flowers in her arms.
Somebody saw this day coming.
“Growing up in Pasadena, I watched so many Rose Parades,” the 17-year-old said. “My dad would wake me up at 6 a.m. and tell me, ‘That’s going to be you one day.’”
She turns her head, and look: Her position on the right side of the float gives maximum exposure for the cameras to catch the simple headband she wears attached to a small black box.