2015 Rose Festival Court: Lincoln High names Tabitha Ivan its princess

Tabitha Ivan is named the third princess to the 2015 Rose Festival Court, representing Lincoln High School in Portland, March 5, 2015

Click here to see the Oregon Live Announcement

What a great opportunity this is going to be for Cecelia, Marie or Christina, I thought as I waited for the announcement of Lincoln High School's 2015 Rose Festival princess.  I have run for office constantly and have never won an election at my school.  The highest office I've had my peers approval for is Homecoming Court every year.  So I was expecting the opposite when my name was called.  I didn't even have an acceptance speech.

So now I am the third princess named to the 2015 Rose Festival Court I will receive a $3,500 scholarship from The Randall Group, a female business executive mentor from Unitus and the chance to be crowned Queen of Rosaria on June 6 at Memorial Coliseum.

After the announcement, all I could say was, "Is this a joke?  Am I being punk'd right now?"
KPTV - FOX 12

The first thing that happened after I hugged the girls and stumbled through my thank-you, was a TV camera swooping in from KATU Channel 2 and reporters from the Oregonian asking me questions I was not prepared to answer.  Questions like, "What's your favorite food?"  Vegans might want to look away for a minute.  All I could remember liking to eat was meat.  Nothing more specific than that.  Just meat.

After a ton of pictures, questions, and meeting my mentor, I left the gym.  That got real, I thought as I walked out with my mom and my friends.   Next, we went to the office to meet with Rose Court committee members Leslie Goodlow-Baldwin and Ashley Sider.  I was given a March schedule and immediately put on the radio with KEX.  Afterwards I met with LHS administrators and my counselor to work out a grad plan.  I will be traveling for 5 weeks and need to finish my classes by May 3rd.

Next up, Court Orientations, the other school's Court announcement assemblies, and lots of homework!  Did that just happen?