Freeman High senior crowned Lilac Festival queen
Megan Paternoster listened to 13 poignant, funny, inspiring speeches before she rose Sunday to deliver the final one from the Spokane Lilac Festival royalty candidates.
The “Fab 14” representing Spokane-area high schools were asked to recite their two-minute compositions on the question, “Who are you?”
Paternoster, a 17-year-old from Freeman High School, spoke about being an awkward, shy kid at summer camp who found her adoration for music and appreciation for art, and who learned to have a servant’s heart.
“I have lived by this: Be yourself. Let who you are and what you stand for shine through your actions every day,” she told the crowd inside the Bing Crosby Theater. “I stand here today not as that shy camper, but a camp counselor, an aspiring artist and a proud Freeman Scottie.”
Paternoster was crowned the 2016 Lilac Queen a short time later.
“I wasn’t expecting this, but I’m so excited,” she said onstage as friends, family and fellow contestants congratulated her. “I just feel overwhelmed with love for the (Lilac Festival) Association and Spokane, and I’m so thankful for this opportunity.”
Paternoster is a member of her school’s Executive ASB Committee, president of its National Honor Society chapter and a member of the National Art Honor Society. She has a grade-point average of 3.91, and she plans to attend Azusa Pacific University or Point Loma Nazarene University to study biology in a pre-medical track.
Her parents, Victor and Lisa Paternoster, and her siblings, 9-year-old Jenni and 14-year-old Trevor, cheered her on from the audience.
“She was a shy little kid at one point,” her mother said. “She’s just amazing. She has grown and developed into this beautiful young woman that I am in awe of.”
The six princesses joining Paternoster in this year’s Lilac Festival court are Kristiana Kershaw, Gonzaga Preparatory School; Aili Jones, West Valley High School; CaraLee Howe, Lewis and Clark High School; Christa LaVoie, The Oaks Classical Christian Academy; Mandi Edlin, Mead High School; and Larissa Caldeira, Rogers High School.
“I’m so excited to just get closer with all these girls that I’m already good friends with,” said Paternoster, wearing a pale-blue gown and her new crown. “And I’m so excited to serve Spokane.”
High school seniors from around the region competed in events over the past three months, with 14 invited to the final round of the competition, whose theme this year is “Lilacs in Wonderland.”
“They got here by proving themselves in academics, leadership roles, volunteerism and community activities,” Col. Charles “Brian” McDaniel, commander of the 92nd Air Refueling Wing at Fairchild Air Force Base, told the audience. “It’s not over tonight, it’s only beginning. That foundation that they’re starting to build, that foundation of excellence and moral courage, is going to be needed in the future.”
Each member of the court receives a $1,500 scholarship, and the queen earns an additional $1,500 scholarship.
The court will take part in a series of public events this spring, including the Royal Tea Party at the Davenport Hotel on April 17, the All City Civic Military Luncheon at the Davenport on May 19, and the Spokane Lilac Festival Armed Forces Torchlight Parade on May 21.
Meghan Long, a Ferris High School graduate and the 2015 Lilac Festival queen, was joined by her six princesses to say farewell and thanks for the past year before Long crowned Paternoster.
“I will hold the days I spent in this crown near and dear to my heart, and I hope that we all remember that we don’t need a fancy dress or a tiara to act royally,” she said. “All we need is an open heart, a spirit for service and many amazing people that encourage us along the way.”