After nearly three months of preparation, four girls have been chosen as nominees for the 2005-2006 Cleveland High School Rose festival ambassador. Each girl prepared and memorized a speech, and stood in front of their peers at an assembly on March 17 with the hopes of being chosen as Cleveland’s ambassador.

“It is a group of intelligent, articulate young ladies who will lead the future,” Rose Festival coordinator Gina Smith said of the nominees.

Whoever wins the hearts of the student body and goes on to represent Cleveland in the tradition of the Portland Rose Festival Court receives a $3,500 scholarship, as well as thousands of dollars in clothing, and extensive connections with business and government officials in and around Portland.

Once on the court, Cleveland’s ambassador will be judged on character, poise, and community involvement by the Rose Festival Committee, and take her chance at becoming Portland’s Queen of Rosaria. Although only one girl will be chosen from Cleveland, each nominee has a lot to offer that could make her the city’s choice.

Corina Luna

When she’s not “running around the city” on errands for Cleveland’s leadership class, or working on the Legend staff as a sports editor, Corina enjoys attending nearly all school events, and supporting Cleveland athletes. Described as being “very spirited,” she has been a part of the varsity cheerleading squad, and says her happiest Cleveland moment was when the team placed at state her sophomore year, despite a performance that they weren’t very happy about. The experience taught her that “even when you feel like you do a bad job at something, you can still end up achieving your goals.”

Always positive, Corina describes herself as energetic, dependable, and caring, and would love to get the chance to represent Cleveland. If selected, she would put all her energy into preparing for the Queen selection, and would make the event her number one priority. However the ambassador selection results turn out, the experience of being on Cleveland’s court has paid off for her. Although performing her speech in front of a judging panel was nerve-wracking, Corina says the selection process has allowed her to become close with the rest of the girls, and grow in friendships with the girls she had already been friends with.

Grace Neal

As an IGNITE mentor to freshman, National Honor Society member, section editor on the newspaper, three-sport athlete and partial IB diploma candidate, Grace is involved in the Cleveland community.

She is also employed by Portland Parks and Recreation as a lifeguard, and has been “Employee of the Session” two years in a row. In fact, her most recent hilarious moment came when a boy at the pool, whom she calls “Sandlot Kid,” followed her around the pool trying to get Grace’s number, and then faked a drowning so Grace could save him. Although the other lifeguards say the boy was just trying to get close to her, Grace says she saw a look of panic in the boy’s eyes, and didn’t want to risk letting him drown. “Afterwards, he seemed really embarrassed, and thanked me genuinely,” she says.

When she’s not saving lives, Grace enjoys watching movies on cable TV (like “The Parent Trap”), and spending time with her boyfriend Mike and best friend Mary. Grace feels that her best high school moment was when she learned that “it’s OK to be myself - that I can be a dork, and it’s OK!”

Describing herself in three words as goofy, intelligent, and outgoing, Grace feels she would be a good representative of Cleveland because she would be devoted to letting everyone else know how great Cleveland really is. “Honestly, I would rather be here than at any other high school.”

Katie Turtura

Turtura is a member of the varsity tennis team, an outdoor school counselor, and dedicated in organizing school assemblies and dances as a part of the Leadership class.

Energetic and funny, Katie loves to snowboard, hang out with friends and read. Her favorite books are “Memoirs of a Geisha,” and Harry Potter titles. Although she is always laughing and cracking jokes, she can be serious when the time calls. Her most important moment was when she moved back to Portland, after living in Seaside, because she “got to lose something, realize what I had and how much I loved it, and then have it back.” It’s this devotion that her friends say make her unique.

The three words that she says best describe her personality are independent, spontaneous, and reliable, and she hopes to inspire other Cleveland students to get more involved and reach their goals by being on the Cleveland ambassador court. “I love Cleveland,” she says, “and I want to be able to keep it a part of my life.”

The selection process has been rewarding thus far for Katie, but has been challenging as well. “I’m both excited and nervous to have to prove myself in front of the entire student body.”

Abby Silverman

As a captain of the Cleveland Sundancers, a singer in the ‘Daires and A-Choir, member of leadership class, partial IB diploma candidate and Abercrombie and Fitch employee, Abby likes to keep busy. When she finds a spare moment in her daily schedule, she enjoys spending time with her friends, working out, and taking dance classes to expel any extra energy she may have.

She also enjoys spending time with her family of four, and says her happiest moment arrived when she became a big sister. When she was seven years old, her family adopted a little girl named Emma, who has become one of Abby’s favorite people in her life, and the day she was born was the most exciting day in her life.

Describing herself as independent, daring, and poised, Abby feels she represents Cleveland in a positive way, and hopes that her level of comfort in speaking in front of large groups will take her far in the selection process, and be beneficial in whatever career she may pursue. Her friends say she is “well spoken,” and would represent Cleveland in an amazing way. Although the selection process is highly competitive and intimidating, it has taught Abby a lot about herself.

“For the first time, I was given the huge task of writing a speech that represents who I am, and memorizing it in a short period of time. Before this process, I never knew I was capable of doing something so important!”