Thousands made a stop in Pasadena to smell the roses and to get up-close looks at this year’s 2026 Rose Parade floats. Among them is “Jungle Jumpstart,” the Sweepstakes Trophy winner designed and constructed by Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo students. CPP Rose Float team president Amelia Atwell (‘26, architecture) and her SLO counterpart Aubrey Goings (‘27, architecture) reflect on winning the parade’s top award.

“It is such a huge, huge honor,” Atwell says. “It felt super out-of-reach for us. This is the first time we’ve ever won it in 77 years, so just getting that phone call yesterday morning that we had won was such a surprise and such a special moment. It’s a huge honor for all our students and we’re so proud of the hundreds of students who helped us on this float and it’s truly an ode to all their hard work and dedication that got us here today.”

This story was originally broadcast by FOX 11 on  January 2, 2026.