Gillian Chase Riley

Gillian Chase Riley has been named the Mystic Irish Parade Foundation’s 2024 Grand Colleen Scholarship Recipient. She is a senior at Fitch High School in Groton, CT, where she is an IB Diploma Candidate. Her activities and honors include: National Honor Society (2023–2024), High Honors (2021–Present), High Point Junior Scholars Award (2023), Sage Scholar Award (2023), Fitch Debate Team Dedication Award (2023), Mathematics Department Dedication Award (2022 & 2023), Social Studies Department Award (2023), English Department Dedication Award (2021), AP Scholar Award (2023), and the Key Club International Global Leadership Certificate (2023).

Gillian volunteers at Mystic Aquarium and Westerly Hospital. She and her grandfather share a special love for St. Patrick’s Day, calling it “our holiday.” She celebrates with traditional dishes, family stories, and her favorite tradition of dressing her dog like a leprechaun. Gillian plans to attend a four-year college to study neuroscience or psychology and later pursue medical school with the goal of becoming a pediatric neurosurgeon.

Sophia Angeline Cabral

Sophia Angeline Cabral is a senior at Fitch High School. She achieved Academic Chevron, ranks in the Top 25 of her class, is a member of the National Honor Society, received Academic Honors every semester, and earned the Women in Engineering STEM Department Award. She is captain of the Fitch Field Hockey team and a member of the softball team.

Sophia has volunteered at the Mystic Irish Parade, the Bill Memorial Library, and served as a COVID-19 Community Advocate by making and distributing masks for essential workers. She loves celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with bright green decorations, shamrocks, classic Irish music, dancing around the kitchen, and sharing corned beef and cabbage with her family. She plans to attend a four-year college and major in mechanical engineering.

Lauren Vossler

Lauren Vossler is a senior at Stonington High School. She is a member of the National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society and has earned Academic High Honors, Spanish High Honors, and Academic Excellence Awards in Geometry, Physical Science, and Studio Art Honors. She runs Varsity Cross Country and Indoor/Outdoor Track & Field and won the bronze medal in the 2023 Foot Locker Cross Country Northeast Regional Meet.

Lauren attends the Mystic Irish Parade every year with her family, decked out in green and listening to the bagpipers. She has marched with her Girl Scout troop and grew up surrounded by Irish heirlooms, including her family’s coat of arms and a shillelagh displayed in her grandmother’s home. She plans to attend a four-year college and major in engineering.

Elizabeth Rose Henderson

Elizabeth Rose Henderson is a senior at Fitch High School, where she plays on the tennis team. She is also a Level 9 trampolinist at USA Trampoline Academy in Mystic and has qualified for nationals three times, placing third in the nation in 2021.

Elizabeth has volunteered at the Mystic Irish Parade for as long as she can remember and loves being part of this cherished tradition. She visited Ireland in 2017, where she explored the hometowns of her ancestors and sampled local dishes. She plans to attend Endicott College, where she will double major in Psychology and Art Therapy.

Madison Janeen Porter

Madison Janeen Porter is a senior at Fitch High School, where she plays tennis and gymnastics. She is President of the Key Club, Vice President of the National Honor Society, and a member of Best Buddies and Unified Sports. She competes in Eastern Connecticut Math Competitions with the school math team.

During the pandemic, Madison handmade more than 300 masks for COVID-positive patients through a local volunteer group. Her Irish heritage is a core part of her identity—she loves cooking Irish dishes, learning Irish etiquette, and researching her family’s history. Her favorite tradition is attending the Mystic Irish Parade every year. Madison plans to pursue a Biology degree on a Pre-Med track with the goal of becoming a pulmonologist.

Molly Barrett Kulick

Molly Barrett Kulick is a senior at Stonington High School. Her greatest passion is sailing. She has volunteered at Mystic Seaport Museum since 2018 and was awarded Mystic Seaport Volunteer of the Year. She has been a certified sailing instructor for three years.

Molly is an active member of St. Patrick’s Church, where she served as an altar server and assisted her grandmother with Faith Formation classes for kindergarten and first-grade students. She grew up surrounded by strong Irish women who taught her self-advocacy and cultural pride. She attends the University of New Hampshire, where she plans to major in Psychology.

Sarah Servidio

The Mystic Irish Parade Foundation is proud to announce Sarah Servidio as the winner of the first annual Grand Colleen & Court Scholarship Contest. Sarah is a senior at Fitch High School and a member of the Chamber Choir, National Honor Society, and captain of the Varsity Cross Country Team.

Sarah celebrates her heritage as a champion Irish step dancer and an active member of St. Patrick’s Church in Mystic. She is currently in school and unable to attend this year’s parade.

The Grand Colleen program was introduced as a new tradition to honor young women of Irish descent. Contestants—local high school juniors and seniors—were evaluated based on their essays about Irish heritage, community involvement, volunteerism, hobbies, and future goals. The Foundation congratulates Sarah as the very first Grand Colleen.