The Rose Festival's Queen Elizabeth

I have the very great honor of being a friend of Queen Elizabeth. Elizabeth Larson, that is. You know, the Centennial Rose Festival Queen, crowned on Saturday right before the big, wet parade?

I've known Elizabeth a few months now, as she's been working with me on a photographic project, and I helped her and a couple friends with an assembly at Lincoln High School, where she was a senior (and now a graduate). I have to say, the Rose Festival made an excellent choice; they couldn't have picked a sweeter queen.

She's super-involved in all kinds of things, which is partly what the above photograph illustrates: student assembly member, a superintendent student advisory council member and a student alternate to the Portland Public School Board. She's studied abroad in Costa Rica, works on the Save Darfur campaign, teaches Sunday School, plans to teach kindergarten in the future, etc etc. But what really sets her apart isn't all the good stuff she does, it's her attitude: she's caring, gentle, honest, has good friendships, cares about her classmates.

My congratulations to you, Elizabeth! May your reign be a blessing to this city.

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