(01/05/2024) Last July, Claire Tembreull, a 2022 Anoka High School (AHS) graduate, was selected as the Aquatennial Queen of the Lakes by the Minneapolis Aquatennial Ambassador Organization (AAO).

As the Minneapolis Aquatennial Queen of the Lakes, Tembreull has the opportunity to visit nearly 300 festivals and events across North America each year to foster relationships and promote the Aquatennial festival. One of those festivals is the Tournament of Roses in Pasadena, Calif. Coined ‘America’s New Year’s Celebration,’ Trembreull was a visiting dignitary for the festivities where she watched the Rose Parade, the Rose Bowl Game and had behind-the-scenes access to all the happenings surrounding the historic celebration.

“It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and we got to meet so many incredible people,” Tembreull said. “It was cool to be a part of their long-standing festival in person.”

A pattern of service: Tembreull has a rich history of giving back to her community. She was named a 2022 Anoka Halloween Royal Ambassador and was actively involved in the LEOS Tornado Service Club at AHS, which included a special project with the City of Anoka her junior year. As a senior, she was awarded the Youth Citizens Scholarship from the City of Anoka for volunteering more than 1,000 hours throughout her high school career.

Also while in high school, Tembreull was a Bleacher Captain, a three-year member of the National Honor Society, and served on the student council all four years - where she held the position of vice president her senior year.

“For me, the biggest piece of giving back and volunteering has been learning other people’s stories, and being able to help and serve others, all while making connections and meeting new people,” Tembreull said.

The AAO: The mission of the AAO is to inspire young women to achieve extraordinary futures by providing professional development opportunities through networking and mentoring. The Ambassador Crew consists of the Queen of the Lakes, Commodore, two Aquatennial Princesses and two Captains who volunteer their time and efforts for the AAO.

At the end of their year of service, the Queen of the Lakes and Princesses each receive educational scholarships.

Dig deeper: Read more about Tembreull and the AAO. 
See the Ambassador Crew in action on Facebook.

(in the photo, Tembreull is in the center)