Dreams of Roses Are a Step Closer

The butterflies in Jennifer Martinez’s stomach had stopped their rioting and the South Pasadena High School senior was a portrait of composure and grace. And relief, big time.

“Now there’s nothing to worry about,” Jennifer said after she was named Monday as one of seven members of the Royal Court for the 108th Rose Parade. She clutched her bouquet of roses and breathed in the scene of jubilant parents and friends outside the Tournament of Roses headquarters in Pasadena.

“It’s great to come this far,” Jennifer said.

For fellow princess Portia Pedro, an Altadena high school senior, being chosen was reward for weeks of practice sessions with her mother--and an unforgettable way to mark her 17th birthday Monday.

“It shows a lot of younger girls that being a good person--it does work out in the end. You do get benefits from it. I think people sometimes forget,” Portia said. “This is one of those things that reminds people there is good stuff.”

The monthlong selection process--a battery of interviews that whittled 764 young women to the seven high school students--isn’t over yet. The finalists will spend the next week getting pointers on etiquette and public speaking and then join the election committee for a weekend outing in pursuit of one more prize: The Rose queen will be chosen from their ranks next week.

Cheryl Cabigas said she’d love to be crowned queen. But the San Marino High senior, showing the kind of diplomatic skills that would no doubt please the judges, added, “I’m just happy to be here.”

Cheryl’s father, Joe Cabigas, had also tried not to hope too much. The insurance account representative left his video camera at home to not jinx his daughter’s chances and then had to borrow film from tournament officials after using the one roll he brought.

“I didn’t want to expect this, but it was good,” he said.

Other parents seemed relieved after weeks of coaching and calming.

Portia’s mother showed her how to stand just so, lobbed impromptu test questions and even tried to help rid her answers of teenspeak. “It was intense. It was unbelievable. I have two daughters and a wife--the clothes, the hair. It was too much,” said Portia’s father, Don Pedro Jr.

Jennifer’s mother, Leticia L. Dotson, had already formulated a new boast. “Now I can tell people I gave birth to a princess,” said Dotson, a Los Angeles police officer. “I couldn’t say that yesterday.”

Also selected were: Jennifer Halferty, 17, of Pasadena; Lisa Remillard, 17, of Temple City; Jodi Tanner, 17, of South Pasadena, and Farrah Wheeler, 18, of Arcadia.