Nine competing for title of Roselle Rose Queen
It was a circus act that enabled Joie Allen to show off her special talent that led judges to name her the 2018 Roselle Rose Queen.
Allen wowed the crowd assembled for the show at Lake Park High School's West Campus in Roselle by walking on a rolling, acrylic ball.
"I also do aerial acrobatics," she says now. "I've been performing my whole life, so that was fun for me. My parents met performing in the Triton College circus. I started performing when I was about 9."
Allen's yearlong reign is about to come to a close. This Friday, she will crown the 2019 Rose Queen at the culmination of an event set to begin at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium.
Nine high school girls will compete for the title, which comes with the responsibility of representing Roselle at several events along with scholarship awards.
A freshman at North Central College where she is studying health science and runs track, Allen said the year has been eventful.
She joined Santa in welcoming crowds to the Cocoa Crawl at the Roselle Public Library, was an honored guest at an indoor picnic for girls at the library, led the annual Rose Fest parade and performed at the Taste of Roselle.
Allen said the Rose Queen competition is not a beauty contest, but a scholarship competition that gives contestants a chance to shine while building friendships.
"It's really highlighting your personal attributes and the differences between us," she said. "Everybody's so nice to each other."
This year the pageant is celebrating its 60th anniversary. The contestants are Danielle Horner, Natalia Sakowicz, Emma Rosales, Jesslyn Cohen, Lila Giecewicz, Emily Martyka, Emily Steuer, Sarah Abraham and Julia Sakowicz.
"This year we are giving more scholarships than we've ever given before," organizer Katie Petrucci said.
The Rose Queen will win $2,500 in scholarship money, while the first runner-up will get $1,500. The girl with the highest grade-point average will receive $500, and the girls with the next two best GPAs will each get $250, she said. A community service award of $250 also will be given.
The program is open to high school girls from Roselle and girls who attend Lake Park High School and is funded with the help of the village, businesses and ticket sales.
Petrucci said the event, emceed by volunteer event coordinator Pamela Mitchell and former student Giovanni Catalano, includes a "community connection" feature.
"They submit a brief piece about their favorite place in Roselle," she said. "It's always a good personal connection."
The talent portion of the show typically features singers, dancers, instrumentalists and artists.
"One girl is doing live artwork. She creates a piece of live artwork in three minutes," Petrucci said. "Another girl is showcasing fashion through the decades and why fashion is important to her."
Judges include Samantha Millsap, executive director of the Roselle Public Library; John Binneboese of Itasca Bank; Little Red Ribbon owner Terri Ring; and Police Chief Steve Herron.
Before the winner is named, contestants don formalwear and walk the stage escorted by a special person in their lives while emcees narrate. Petrucci said each girl is then asked to respond to a question before Village Trustee Wayne Domke addresses the crowd.
Then it's time for Allen to crown the next Rose Queen.
Allen, 19, said she has a genuine affection for Roselle and is proud to have been the 2018 Rose Queen.
"It's home for me. Thinking back to when I was a kid, everything is really close together. It's like a smaller town but there's still a lot to do," she said.
If you go
What: 60th annual Rose Queen competition
When: 7 p.m. Friday, March 1
Where: Lake Park High School West Campus, 500 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Roselle
Tickets: $5 at the door
Info: www.roselle.il.us