AGAWAM – Victoria Lynn Weltlich of Russell was crowned the 2016 Westfield Sons of Erin Colleen during the 35th Colleen Ball at Chez Josef in Agawam on Friday.
Selected to serve in her Court were Samantha Lee Dolan, Anna Catherine Grady, Alyssa Marie Manna, and Grace Marie Silva, all seniors at Westfield High School.
Weltlich, who goes by Tori, is 22 years old and a 2015 graduate of Plymouth State University in New Hampshire where she graduated summa cum laude, and earned her bachelors of science in nursing. She is employed full-time as a registered nurse on the medical surgical team in Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in NH, where she works three day shifts, and commutes from Russell. Eventually, she plans to go back to school to become a nurse practitioner in a hospital setting.
She decided to enter the contest at her mother’s prompting.
“I had never done anything like this before,” Weltlich said. “I thought it was a good opportunity. It made me more excited as I learned more about my Irish heritage, the Colleen and her duties.”
In order to be a contestant, a girl must be 17-22 years old from Westfield, Southwick, or the surrounding hilltowns, and have a parent or grandparent who is a member of the Sons of Erin, or be of Irish descent.
Weltlich, who is Irish on her father’s side, said she didn’t know any of the nineteen contestants going in.
“Everybody was super friendly – we all got along really well. They were a very accepting, great group of girls,” she said.
The contest is based on four categories judged over two nights, each earning 25 percent of the score: intellect, personality, poise and appearance, according to Sons of Erin Colleen committee member Tracy Oleksak, a former Colleen Court member herself. Oleksak said none of the judges are affiliated with the sons of Erin, or live in the Westfield area.
“I wouldn’t want to be a judge, I can tell you that,” Oleksak said. “It would have been tough for me. That’s why we don’t have judges from around here.”
Weltlich said she was nervous going into the judge’s interview on Thursday night, but said the judges were “awesome, super-friendly.” They asked her why she decided to enter the Colleen contest, what her future plans were, and if she could eat dinner with anyone, who would it be?
“I said Michele Obama,” Weltlich said. “Because she’s a strong woman figure in our society, and there needs to be more of those.”
Weltlich also appreciates the First Lady’s focus on combating childhood obesity, with which as a nurse she agrees.
“I also said she has rocking arms, and would look for tips,” Weltlich said she told the judges, who agreed with her and laughed. She thought it was a good sign that she had them laughing.
The judges also asked her what quality she possessed that would make her a good ambassador, and she described herself as compassionate.
Weltlich said she learned a lot about herself confidence-wise, and also enjoyed dressing up and looking pretty.
“I definitely don’t feel that way at work,” she said, referring to her work as a nurse in the hospital setting.
As the Sons of Erin Colleen she receives a cloak to wear at events, which she will pass on to the next Colleen; a tiara, gold Claddagh ring and Belleek ring holder, hand-made sweater, kilt and mittens, all of which she may keep; and a voucher for $1,500 for a trip to Ireland, a trip she is excited to make for the first time.
Each Colleen court member also receives a Claddagh ring, a Belleek bud vase, and hand-made sweater, kilt and mittens. The Colleen and her court will represent Westfield and the Sons of Erin in several events over the year, including on a float in the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Holyoke.
