HOLYOKE — Five young women — each accomplished, ambitious and Irish — made the cut Saturday night. One of these finalists will be named Grand Colleen and reign over the city’s legendary St. Patrick’s Day parade March 22.
One of the five, Emily Marie Couture, received the additional honor of being named 2020’s Miss Congeniality.
The finalists, chosen from a field of 15 candidates, are Couture, Patricia Anne Haradon, Natalie Marie Mayko, Moira Catherine McDermott and Haley Elizabeth Dusseault.
Saturday night’s pageant at Holyoke High School capped a long day for the 15 applicants. They had spent the morning in interviews with a three-judge panel: Patricia Griffiths of Wilbraham, a retired Springfield schoolteacher; William Flaherty, the 2020 West Springfield St. Patrick’s Day parade marshal; and Eileen Sullivan, a Westfield teacher.
The panel had been provided, in advance, with resumes filled out by the aspiring Colleens. Using a 1-10 scale, the judges applied four criteria to evaluate each young woman: intelligence, personality, poise and appearance. They also took into account contestants’ community service history, extracurricular and volunteer activities and other indications of good citizenship. A final round of judging based on poise and appearance was conducted as the candidates appeared on stage Saturday night.
Eligibility to participate is confined to young women who are single (never married, never had a child) and reside either in Holyoke or South Hadley. They can be no younger than 17 and no older than 22 as of March 17, 2020. And they must claim Irish ancestry.
Before the evening program, the contestants voted for one of their fellow candidates to receive the Miss Congeniality Award. In 2000, the name of that honor was changed to The Bonnie Baker Miss Congeniality Award in memory of Bonnie Baker, a longtime mentor and friend to Colleens.
The 15 already had participated in a contestant orientation and tea Dec. 28. There they learned about the role and responsibilities of a Colleen as well as the busy schedule. That schedule started Thursday with a rehearsal to prepare for Saturday’s pageant. This Friday, Jan. 10, the five finalists will make a public appearance at the Grand Marshal’s Reception. The 2020 Grand Marshal is Holyoke attorney John J. Driscoll.
The finalists will be honored at the Grand Colleen Coronation Ball on Feb. 15. The highlight of the night, following one last round of judging for poise and appearance, will be the announcement of the 2020 Grand Colleen.
Saturday’s pageant, befitting St. Patrick, was steeped in Irish music, song and dance. The evening began with the Holyoke Caledonian Pipe Band drumming and bagpiping its way into the auditorium where the Holyoke High School Madrigal Choir sang Irish and American anthems. Next came a lively and varied performance of Irish step dancing by students from the Cassin Academy of Irish Dance.
St. Patrick’s Committee President Marc Joyce, whose two daughters were past participants in the Colleen contest, welcomed the large turnout of parents, grandparents, families and friends. Debra Vega, as she has done for the past two years, presented the 15 contestants. Lauren Hanna Dulude, 2019’s Grand Colleen, saluted the candidates and spoke of the life-changing impact — “humbling, inspiring, enlightening,” she said — of being Grand Colleen. The 2019 finalists and 2019 Miss Congeniality each spoke of their experiences and achievements over the past year.
The Pageant Committee is chaired by Kathryn Dulchinos and Ashley Reidy. Members are Mairin Bresnahan, Karen Casey, Billy Dinn, Johnny Driscoll, Peter and Kathy Krisak, Barbara LaFlamme, Sara Lassard, Kelsey Lecca, Ann Lowe, Cathy McEvady, Mark O’Brien, Bridget O’Connor, DJ O’Connor, Sue Poulin, Jacki Reardon, Abby Scanlon, Devin Sheehan and Sara Stevenson.
■Emily Couture, 18, of South Hadley is a senior at South Hadley High School where she maintains a 4.0 grade point average (GPA). She is a member of the School Council and the National Honor Society.
■Patricia Haradon, 18, of Holyoke is a senior at Holyoke High School where she has a 4.5 GPA. She is the class salutatorian and a member of the National Honor Society.
■Natalie Mayko, 22, of Holyoke is a 2015 graduate of Holyoke High School. She graduated from Westfield State College in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She is working on a master’s degree in education at Springfield College.
■Moira McDermott, 17, of South Hadley is a senior at South Hadley High School. She is a National Merit semifinalist and has received the Dartmouth Book Award and Superintendent’s Award as class salutatorian.
■Haley Dusseault, 17, of South Hadley is a senior at South Hadley High School. She participated in the cheerleading team that finished third in the Nationals in Florida. A YMCA afterschool counselor, has been part of an improv troupe called SHIMPROV and received perfect attendance awards for her first two years of high school.