Queens native selected to represent New York at Rose of Tralee

New York has crowned its Rose who will be competing in the 2019 Rose of Tralee: Queens native Elena Evangelou. 

The New York chapter of the Rose of Tralee competition crowned their 2019 Rose on June 2 at the Tarrytown House Estates. 22-year-old Elena Evangelou of Queens will be representing her native New York in the annual celebration of young women leaders from the global Irish diaspora. 

She was crowned with a Tipperary Crystal tiara and will be traveling to Ireland in August for the Rose of Tralee Festival. 

Evangelou's father is from Cyprus and her mother is from Limerick, and they raised her with a deep appreciation for both cultures. She spent every summer with her maternal grandparents in Pallaskenry, Co. Limerick. 

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"Ireland is my favorite place in the entire world, it has made me the person that I am today. Since my childhood years, I spent my summer days running in the fields of Pallaskenry and taking trips to Ringmoylan Pier with my cousins Ryan, Evin, and Oran. I hope that I will be able to give my children the same Ireland experience that I have had," she said. 

Evangelou recently graduated Magna Cum Laude from the State University of SUNY Cortland, earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Economics with a concentration in Human Resources. She was a member of the National Honor Society of Leadership and Success and served as Director of Finances for the Epsilon Kappa chapter, which entailed overseeing operations and financial reports for all Delta Phi Epsilon members. She was also appointed Community Service Chair, where she helped in the creation of their annual “65 Roses Gala”, raising money in honor of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

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She said, "being a part of this experience is something that I have dreamed about since a very young age. I remember watching the Rose of Tralee with my grandparents in Ireland, listening to their words of encouragement, 'One day that will be you up there'."

Learn more about Elena here:

The 2019 Rose of Tralee International Festival will take place August 23-27 in Tralee, Co. Kerry.