Regal moment for senior from Glenbard East High

Jaime Lemens found it all a bit too surreal.

The 18-year-old Glenbard East High School senior spent Saturday afternoon having photos of her snapped at Lilacia Park in Lombard.

Adorned with a tiara and wearing a poofy dress matching the color of many of the lilacs in bloom at the park, Lemens was crowned the village's newest Lilac Queen.

"It's very fulfilling to know people appreciate the work I do," said Lemens, who is involved in a plethora of activities both in and outside of school, including theater, speech team, volunteer work at the area PADS homeless shelter and her church choir.

In addition to Lemens, finalists Elizabeth Bucko, Laura Edwards, Maggie Leonard, and Anna Rogalska spent the afternoon signing autographs for many of the little girls in attendance. All five teens received $1,000 college scholarships from the village.

In total, 35 teens from Lombard applied for the annual award, said Marita Smith of the Lombard Junior Women's Club.

"All the girls here are overachievers," Smith said. "Any one of them would be a great representative for this community."

Lemens will spend the next year serving as a role model for young girls and a catalyst for the community.

Lemens is the 79th Lilac Queen in the village's history. Her crown makes her the embodiment of the lilac, an "image of beauty as well as the true essence of romance," according to descriptions of the original queens.

In addition to Saturday's crowning, Lemens will participate in the village's annual Lilac Parade on May 17,

"I'm really looking forward to it," Lemens said. "I've never actually been in a parade before."