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Date: 3/1/2023
AGAWAM — Hope Clark was ecstatic after being crowned Agawam’s 2023 colleen. It’s a night she will aways cherish.
“This moment is truly special — it not only means a lot to me and to my family, but it also honors my late father. He really loved the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and all the traditions,” said Clark, who was chosen from among eight colleen contestants. “I think my dad would feel very proud of me.”
The crowning of Clark by the Agawam St. Patrick’s Committee — its first coronation since 2020 — took place at the committee’s 21st ceremony on Feb. 18. The event at Oak Ridge Golf Club also kicked off the “Irish season” that culminates with the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade next month.
The new colleen said it was “almost an out-of-body-experience” when her name was announced. Clark added that she began to get nervous after dinner as she and the other seven colleen hopefuls waited to learn who would be named to the court and who would be crowned colleen.
“They were all such fun-loving girls. They made it such a great experience with good camaraderie and a supportive environment,” Clark said of the colleen contestants.
All eight contestants were Agawam residents of high school or college age, including Clark, who is a senior at Suffield Academy. The four runners-up who were selected for Clark’s court are Margaret Johnston, a sophomore at Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Kayla Herlihy, a senior at the University of New Haven; Abigail Perry, a senior at Agawam High School; and Rylee Moreau, a senior at Pope Francis Preparatory School.
Clark, who is part of a large Irish Catholic family — her parents each came from families of seven children — wanted to be the 2023 colleen to showcase her family’s Irish spirit and to give back to her community.
She said the true purpose of being a colleen is community service.
“This role extends beyond just being in the St. Patrick’s Parade or carrying out activities during March. I’m really excited to get involved in my Agawam community in whatever ways possible.”
She said her parents dreamed about this night after she was named colleen at a Catholic preschool and pulled around the school in a little wagon.
“Ever since that day, they talked about this moment for me. This is special for me and my family, especially for my mom. And I’m sure my dad is looking down on me,” added Clark.
A member of the Girl Scouts, Clark received the President’s Volunteer Service Award for a community service project to support low-income students in the Springfield public schools by creating a home library. After high school, Clark plans to attend a four-year undergraduate university to study business management or analytics.
A panel of out-of-town judges — Jackie Toussaint, a retired Agawam teacher from East Granby, CT; Patty Zwirko from Easthampton; and Kayla Zwirko from Stratford, CT (they are related by marriage) — made the difficult decision to select the colleen and her court.
They based their decision on the contestants’ biographies and interviews with Abbie Malouin, a committee co-director who hosted the coronation ceremony, and essays they wrote. She asked them were asked about their academics, athletics, extra-curricular and volunteer activities, as well as interest in their Irish heritage.
Colleen contestant Sabrina McBride won the William Pfau Cultural Award for her essay about a person of Irish descent — living or deceased — who made a significant difference in her life. All contestants were required to write a 200- to 300-word essay on this topic. McBride, a sophomore at Our Lady of the Elms College, is pursuing a bachelor of arts degree in secondary education and history. She wrote about her father, Matthew McBride.
Kathie Pfau Caputo, the daughter of William Pfau, a founding member of the Agawam St. Patrick’s Committee, presented the award on behalf of her family. Caputo said her dad was a “proud Irish man” who was raised in Boston and moved to Agawam in the late 1950s. After retiring, he and a group of Agawam residents — who also felt strongly about their Irish ancestry — formed the committee in 1999.
“If my father were here tonight, he would tell the contestant: be proud of your Irish heritage, be proud of Agawam and wherever life leads you, never forget where you came from,” said Caputo.
Three awards were presented to individuals who will lead the Agawam marching contingent on parade day. All are Agawam residents.
Doug Reed was named parade marshal for his contributions that have led to the growth of the Agawam St. Patrick’s Committee as its president.
The Anne Sullivan Award, presented to a female committee member who epitomizes the values represented by Anne Sullivan, a Feeding Hills native, went to Donna Burke, a longtime committee member.
The recently renamed Vera Conway Citizenship Award was presented to Brian Burbank for has substantial contributions to the Agawam community.