On February 22, the five finalists for the Holyoke Grand Colleen Contest were dressed in stunning green gowns as they prepared to answer a question that would allow one of them to become the Grand Colleen. “At this vary moment, of what are you most proud?” Although all of the young women answered gracefully, Sheila Fallon, who graduated from Holyoke High School in 2011, won over the judges. In addition to this both Fallon and Liza Hurley, who graduated from HHS in 2012, were kind enough to answer a few questions for their former school’s newspaper. Here’s what they had to say

Q: Have you always wanted to be a colleen?
Fallon: “Yes! It has been my dream since the first St. Patrick’s Day Parade I ever watched. To me, the Colleens were royalty. “
Hurley: “Yes I’ve always wanted to be a colleen. I would always look for the colleens in the parade. I didn’t realize how much I wanted it until I worked the coronation ball at the log cabin; it was hard to focus on what I was doing because I wanted to listen to the question and the answer each girl gave. As cliché as it sounds, it really is a dream come true.”

Q: How do you feel about being able to represent Holyoke through being the colleen?
Fallon: “It is actually my favorite part of this whole endeavor. Holyoke is so very special to me, and I hope to live and work here for the rest of my life. Holyoke has a culture all its own that I wouldn’t trade being a part of for the world. Growing up in Holyoke has truly made me the young woman I am today.”
Hurley: “As for representing Holyoke, I’ve always been proud to tell people where I was from, so now to be a role model in a city that has given me so much is a real honor. I really want to encourage younger students to push themselves. All of the colleens this year have a number of accomplishments, and we are not that old. I think this emphasizes how much you can achieve if you work hard.”

Q: What did you have to do to work up to this?
Fallon: “I certainly tried my best to succeed in my academics, community service, and to represent myself in a positive way. But to be honest, it took a long time for me to work up the courage to finally enter the contest. In the back of my mind, I feared that I wouldn’t even be chosen as a finalist. It was definitely a strong lesson to myself that I will never know what I am capable of until I try!”
Hurley: “Before the pageant all the contestants are interviewed and I must have asked my mom almost every night to ask me potential questions. Once I bought the shoes I was going to wear, I also spent a lot of time practicing walking in those. Since there are so many events to attend, I am home almost every weekend, and was not able to participate in Alternative Spring Break this year. That was probably the only sacrifice I have really had to make. I’ll admit I was a little disappointed that I was not able to do both; however, being a colleen has always been a dream of mine and I was so honored to be selected for the court, so the sacrifice was worth it. I am hopeful I will have the opportunity to participate in ASB in the future; I knew this was a once in a lifetime opportunity though.”

Q: How has this made you grow as a person?
Fallon: “I have always been a confident person, but this has assured me of that confidence. My greatest hope is that I will inspire all of those little girls out there watching the parade to follow their dreams. I want them all to know that being exactly and unapologetically who they are, on the inside and on the outside, is beautiful.”
Hurley: “I have gained a lot more confidence in myself. I think I am a lot better at thinking about what it is I want to say, rather than just blurting something out. In addition, I have also have found a way to put into words how much this all means to me. A lot of my friends at school had never heard of anything like this, by explaining what it was and how much the parade meant to the city they were able to see why I wanted to be a part of it. I always knew how much work there was behind organizing the parade, but through this experience I have gained a new appreciation for the parade.I have been able to witness just how committed so many people are. I also have learned so much more about the exceptional people who are involved with the parade. I always read about the award winners in the newspaper, but to hear the stories of their remarkable dedication is inspirational. I have always been proud to say that I am from Holyoke, but this experience has shown me how much this city really means to me and has made me eager to have impact in the future.”

Q: What went through your mind when your name was called to be the Grand Colleen?
Fallon: “I was absolutely elated! I know it sounds cliche, but I could not believe that it was actually real. It was the moment I had pictured in my head for so many years actually coming to reality. However, my favorite part of it all was seeing all of those Holyoke Irish eyes smiling in the audience. That is what it’s all about. “

Fallon also added: “Every other finalist (the girls in the court) were as deserving of that crown as I am. They are all so beautiful, intelligent, and kind. I couldn’t ask to spend this time with greater young women.”

From both the staff here at The Herald and Holyoke High as a community, we are very proud of both of these former students.