Rose Parade features Poly connections

The 99th Tournament of Roses Parade this year featured more than one Poly connection: Poly senior Autumn Lundy was named as a Rose Princess on the Royal Court, and Poly alumna and current parent Aliya Haque-Coher ’95, the 1995 Rose Queen, was chosen to ride on Miracle-Gro’s “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” float in the parade. This year’s Royal Court announcement followed a month-long process during which nearly 1,000 young women participated in multiple rounds of interviews. Finalists were selected based upon a combination of qualities, including public speaking ability, poise, academic achievement, and community and school involvement. The Royal Court attended nearly 100 community and media functions, acting as ambassadors of the Association and the Pasadena community at large. Their reign culminated on Jan. 2, with the 128th Rose Parade and the 103rd Rose Bowl Game.

Autumn is part of the Girls’ Service League, Poly’s girls Varsity soccer team, and the Crescenta Valley Soccer Club, and she is co-president of the school’s Black Student Union and has served as a student ambassador for the past three years. She volunteers with the Kidspace Halloween Festival, Reading Partners, Soccer without Borders, and Villa- Parke Community Center in Pasadena. Autumn enjoys acting, drawing, and painting portraits. She would like to attend Baylor University and plans on majoring in human biology and minoring in human physiology.

Aliya, managing director at Newmark Grubb Knight Frank in Los Angeles, is an active participant in the community, supporting institutions that focus on educating and improving the lives of the children. In 2014 she was named the Bisnow Power Woman, an award that recognizes the 50 most influential women in Los Angeles Commercial Real Estate. Her children, Zakia ’25 and Abraham ’28, currently attend Poly.