NATCHEZ &045;&045; Dreaming of being a queen was easy for Jennifer Paradise. She could gaze at the exquisite gown worn by her mother, Ann, who was 1981 queen of the pageant, an annual event that dates to earliest Natchez Spring Pilgrimages in the 1930s. The daughter could imagine herself in her mother’s dress, fashioned of delicate silk and lace and embellished with crystals and pearls.

Still, when the dream became reality &045;&045; when she received an invitation to represent the Natchez Garden Club as its queen during the first half of the season with Jack Byrne as king, she was stunned.

&uot;I’m very honored and completely shocked,&uot; she said, speaking by phone from the campus of Millsaps College in Jackson, where she is in her junior year. &uot;I don’t think of myself as this queen kind of person. I like to wear wind shorts and T-shirts.&uot;

As much as she likes the outdoors and wearing comfortable sports clothes, however, Paradise has become comfortable with the idea of wearing her mother’s queen dress for the 2004 pageant.

&uot;It’s a perfect fit,&uot; she said. &uot;I’ve secretly always wanted to be queen because my mom was, but I never thought I would be.&uot;

Friends, teachers and classmates at Millsaps have joined in her excitement, she said. &uot;They have made me feel very special even though they don’t know about this Natchez thing. Even four or five of my professors are going to come for the pageant and ball.&uot;

At 20, she has a serious attitude toward her school work and her future. With a double major in chemistry and biology, she had considered medical school but now leans toward dental school.

&uot;I don’t have anyone in mind to marry right now, but I know I do want to get married and want to have four children,&uot; she said. &uot;I think being a dentist might fit better into that dream.&uot;

A graduate of Trinity Episcopal Day School, she was active as a high school student, especially recalling the importance of basketball and how much that sport, the coach and her teammates meant to her then and now. &uot;We’ve always stayed close because of that basketball bond,&uot; she said.

At Millsaps, she enjoys activities in her sorority, Kappa Delta, which recently raised money for prevention of child abuse. &uot;We really worked hard on this. We raised over $22,000 with a silent auction and dinner and another event. My dad got a weekend at the Wensel House Bed and Breakfast as one of the things for the auction.&uot;

Her parents, Robert and Ann Paradise, have been a great influence on her life, Jennifer said.

&uot;They’ve always encouraged me to do anything I want to do, and I appreciate that now more than ever,&uot; she said. &uot;They trust my decisions.&uot;

She is close to her brother, Everett, 17, a student at Trinity. &uot;My brother is very different from me. I’m a strong personality, and he’s so laid back. He helps to show me that everything is not such a big deal.&uot;

Her grandmother, Jo Berta McGehee, also has been important in her life, she said. &uot;She always helps us out. Everyone in town loves her. I’m always hearing about how sweet and cute she is. And she is.&uot;

Her hometown is filled with people who have helped to shape her life, she said. &uot;With so many wonderful people in my life, it sometimes makes me wonder whether it’s like this everywhere or if I’m just so lucky.&uot;