Eleven students from Sylmar Charter High School’s marching band and flag team were among those selected for the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) All-City Honor Marching Band that performed in this year’s Tournament of Roses Parade.
It’s considered a great honor to be selected to participate in the famous New Year’s parade watched worldwide. The honor that was bestowed on students from Sylmar Charter High this year are Antonio Ruvalcaba Luna, Antonio Salado Gonzalez, Areli Mercado, Chris Granados, Diana Diaz, Gabriel Covarrubias, George Morales, Gustavo Luque, Joselyn Reyes, Josh Reynoso and Julian Sagrero.
“Students from my marching band are selected by myself, [they] are basically the best of the best at my school,” Sylmar Charter High Band Director Sabrina Nickum said. “I choose the top students for marching, playing ability and leadership, and they are honored at the Rose Parade.”
The selected students practiced for two weeks after the fall semester ended for winter break. Although they had to give up part of their vacation to prepare for the parade, no one was complaining.
“When I got to see them [after the parade], they said it probably was one of the most rewarding experiences that they had,” Nickum said. “They did [marched and played] the whole entire Rose Parade until the very end, and they really did enjoy themselves.”
No small feat, as they have to be ready to go during the wee hours of the morning prepared to march 5 1/2 miles in any weather.
Oftentimes, the students who are selected are chosen again until they graduate.
Julian Sagrero, a 16-year-old junior and a drum major in the marching band, has been a member of the All-City Band for the past three years, and each time was just as memorable as the last.
“It’s something unforgettable and you work hard [for it], you go to the practices and you really have to be dedicated to it,” Sagrero said. “You go through a series of struggles and all that, [but] once you’ve fully marched it, it’s an experience like no other and something that no one can take away from you.”
He still remembers how nerve-racking it was when he first performed in the Rose Parade. He would watch the parade as a kid, so being a part of it was a unique opportunity.
“It felt amazing,” Sagrero said, recounting how he felt the first time. “I felt like I accomplished something that I never even dreamed of.”
His favorite part of the parade was towards the end in what’s called the “All-City tunnel,” the 210 underpass at Sierra Madre Boulevard where alumni of the All-City Band and family members gathered to cheer on the students.
“The experience is really emotional because you’re already towards the end of the parade, you’re about to finish it, but seeing people that have done it before and your family members … just seeing everybody there supporting you, it’s amazing to see and feel,” said Sagrero.
Another student who returned to the All-City Band on New Year’s Day was Antonio Ruvalcaba Luna, a senior and assistant drum major. He’s been in the school’s marching band for four years but had to wait until his sophomore year to be in the All-City Band due to the COVID-19 pandemic that canceled the 2021 Rose Parade. But the experience was nonetheless memorable.
“It’s an unreal feeling because this is something that you never expect to happen,” Ruvalcaba Luna said. “Seeing all those people marching down on Colorado Boulevard, it’s quite an experience you never expect.”
Similar to Sagrero, Ruvalcaba Luna would watch the Rose Parade every year with his parents, so being able to march in it was akin to a dream come true. That same feeling hasn’t dissipated over the years, but this last one was especially important because now he’s graduating.
“I feel like this year, it was more impactful because it was my last time doing it,” Ruvalcaba Luna said. “I think you get more attached [the more you do it], but at the same time, time passes by more [quickly]. Your first time it takes longer, you’re not used to it, but then afterward it’s [suddenly] been three years.”
The All-City tunnel is also a stand-out moment for him, as the experience of seeing alumni and family members supporting them is unforgettable.
“Everyone is just hyping each other up, you have one mile left, so it gives you an extra push to continue,” Ruvalcaba Luna said. “It’s definitely one of our favorite memories.”