Gateway High School junior marches in the Rose Parade

After waiting more than a year, Deborah Fry’s patience paid off when she marched in the 2022 Rose Parade on Jan. 1 in Pasadena, Calif.

Fry, a 16-year-old junior and color guard member at Gateway High School, first applied to take part in the 2021 parade. That version was canceled due to the covid-19 pandemic, with plans to welcome accepted students for the 2022 event.

“It was a lot of fun,” Fry said. “I enjoyed meeting kids from around the country.”

Joining 300 students representing each of the 50 states, Fry decided to apply after her sister, Naomi Fry, marched in the 2017 parade. Along with the application, Fry sent video of her dance routines.

“It was a really cool thing that she got to go do. I wanted to go do it,” said Deborah Fry, who joined band in seventh grade. “So, I applied and they responded. They were like, ‘You were pretty good, so we want you to march.’”

Jim Hoeltje, director of bands at Gateway, said the two sisters are the only recent Gateway students to have marched in the Rose Parade. Several others have participated in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.

“We’ve had a few students do groups like that,” Hoeltje said. “I honestly can’t tell you off the top of my head which ones did which event, but I do remember that her sister went out to Pasadena. … It demonstrates their love of the activity and their desire to explore the activity outside of what we can offer them at Gateway.”

Hoeltje was not involved in the application process. He was unaware of Fry’s intention until after she had already applied.

Fry arrived in Pasadena on Dec. 27, giving the students a few days to practice as a full ensemble.

“It was a little awkward at first because you didn’t know anybody,” Fry said. “After a little while, you just make friends with the people in your section. It ended up feeling just like if we were at home.”

Some of the students have kept in touch, Fry said.

“I think it was beneficial because we had to meet and bond in a really short amount of time,” Fry said. “We had to collaborate and so, I think that was helpful because now I know how to make friends quicker.”

This was the first time Fry had been to California, as she was unable to attend the parade when Naomi marched. Despite an unexpected cold front, she said it was exciting to travel to a part of the country quite different from western Pennsylvania.

But because of the weather, several events planned around the parade were canceled. Fry and her family instead went to Santa Monica Pier, a farmer’s market and a movie theater to see Spider-Man: Far from Home.

“I think, one day, it was colder there (in Pasadena) than it was here,” Fry said.

Even without the typical California sunshine, Hoeltje said Fry would learn a great deal from experiencing another part of the country and marching in one of the more highly regarded annual band events would help. He also said her ambition was displayed throughout the year-long build up.

“Deborah is a very strong leader already,” Hoeltje said. “Her taking it upon herself to apply for an honor band like that, to put herself in a situation to be able to participate in the Rose Parade on the other side of the country, I think that just demonstrates more of her leadership qualities, more of her independence.”

That independence is also one of the primary reasons Fry enjoys being part of color guard.

“I think it’s just that I can be myself and express myself in a way that’s really fun for me,” Fry said. “I get to bring other people joy. That’s really cool.”