Melanie Elizabeth Fleming

Melanie Elizabeth Fleming is a senior at Fitch High School in Groton. She is involved in several organizations that highlight her commitment to the Groton–Mystic community. During her time at Fitch, Melanie has been awarded the Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony Book Award, ranks in the top 25 of her graduating class, is a member of the National Honor Society, serves as the secretary of the Keyettes Club, plays cello in the string orchestra, and acts as a student representative to the Groton Board of Education.

Melanie is also a Bronze and Silver Award Girl Scout, earned through more than fifty hours of community service. She is a competitive dancer at Dancers Ink in Mystic and an Ambassador Girl Scout in Troop 63176. Melanie will be attending the University of Connecticut in the fall, where she will major in marketing at the Storrs main campus.

Melanie loves the St. Patrick’s Day season because it gives her the chance to spend quality time with family and friends, enjoy the annual Mystic Irish Parade, share family stories, and decorate her home with her mom using shamrocks and cherished Irish decorations passed down through generations—turning the house into a walk down memory lane.

Emma Forde

Emma Forde is a senior at Fitch High School. During her time at Fitch, Emma received the Endicott Book Award, ranked in the top 25 of her class, and became a member of the National Honor Society. She has served as captain of both the Fitch High School soccer team and the Fitch High School track team for two years.

Emma has volunteered at the Mystic Irish Parade for many years, a tradition that connects her to her Irish roots. In 2018, she visited Ireland, where she reconnected with family and deepened her understanding of her heritage. She feels especially connected to her roots through her love of storytelling, a gift she inherited from her grandad.

Emma will attend Western New England University in the fall, where she plans to major in marketing and play soccer. She has always cherished the Mystic Irish Parade as a meaningful way to bring together friends and family while celebrating her pride in Irish culture.

Elizabeth Zuro

Elizabeth (“Ellie”) Sarah Zuro is a senior at Stonington High School. She serves as Vice President of the National Honor Society, is a four-year student government representative, and is Co-President of the school’s peer mediation group. Ellie has earned Academic High Honors throughout all four years of high school.

A dedicated athlete, she is a four-year starter on the varsity girls lacrosse team, where she has earned All-State Second Team, All-Star ECC, and Defensive Player of the Year honors. Ellie is also deeply committed to service, volunteering for the past seven years with her church’s youth mission program. In addition, she plays first-chair viola with the Thames Valley Youth Symphony at Connecticut College.

Ellie grew up surrounded by storytelling, which sparked her love for writing and literature. She cherishes listening to her grandparents’ stories and learning about their Irish traditions. In 2018, she traveled to Dublin, where she enjoyed hearing local storytellers, visiting Trinity College, and exploring her Irish heritage.

Ellie plans to attend a four-year college, where she hopes to double major in psychology and political science.

Kelly Turley

Kelly Margaret Turley is a senior at Marine Science Magnet High School, where she is an active and accomplished student. She is a member of the National Honor Society, a Student Council Officer, a Student School Ambassador, and a Peer Tutor. Kelly has received several academic honors, including the Excellence in AP Chemistry Award, the ECE Marine Science Award, and the Science Distinction Award.

A lifelong athlete, Kelly was a competitive swimmer with the Mystic Hammerheads, where she once held 14 speed records in multiple strokes for her age group. She is also a four-year varsity tennis player for Fitch High School.

Kelly is deeply involved in her community. She attends and volunteers at St. Patrick’s Church, assisting with youth programs, altar serving, and parish events. She also volunteers at the New London Community Meal Center, helping prepare and serve food to those in need. Some of her favorite childhood memories include walking in the Mystic Irish Parade with St. Patrick’s Church, wearing Kelly green, Irish step dancing, and celebrating with her large extended family. She will be visiting Dublin for the first time over Spring Break.

Kelly will attend Northeastern University in Boston, where she plans to pursue a dual major in bioengineering and biochemistry.

Maerin Lyon

Maerin Lyon is a senior at Fitch High School and a dedicated student-athlete. She is a four-year member of both the Fitch Varsity Girls Soccer Team and the Varsity Softball Team, earning several ECC Sportsmanship Awards throughout her athletic career. Maerin is also an active member of the Environmental Club and the National Honor Society.

Her hobbies include playing softball, cooking, baking, and going to the gym. Maerin has marched in the Mystic Irish Parade since she was young, an experience that has fostered a strong sense of pride in her Irish heritage. She shares that the parade has helped her feel connected to her roots while also giving back to the community she loves.

Maerin plans to attend a four-year college following graduation.

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.