Jillian Battles, 17, a senior at Westfield High School was named the 2025 Sons of Erin colleen on the Feb. 7 Colleen Ball at Tekoa Country Club.
Reminder Publishing photo by Amy Porter
WESTFIELD — At the end of an evening of good food, music by The Bards, camaraderie and glamour at the Tekoa Country Club on Feb. 7, 10 contestants competing in the Sons of Erin Colleen Ball took to the runway while Master of Ceremonies Bo Sullivan recounted their accomplishments. The moment then came to name the 2025 colleen and her court.
The colleen who will represent Westfield in the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade on March 23 and in activities throughout the year is Jillian Battles, 17, a senior at Westfield High School. Members of her court are Jaiden Caban, McKenna Clark, Madison LeClair and Isabella Proietti.
Battles is a National Honor Society member and president of Key Club. She is captain of both the varsity swim team and varsity tennis team, a member of Best Buddies, Future Medical Professionals Club and Honor Guard, and participates in the Baystate Springfield Educational Partnership.
For the past four years, Battles has filled 800 “Bags for Bravery,” providing everything from personal care items to snacks for active duty troops and veterans.
Battles will be attending Western New England University majoring in health sciences with a minor in political science. Upon completion of her undergraduate work, she hopes to attend Harvard Medical School and become a family physician specializing in pediatrics.
Before the competition, Battles said she entered because while she has an Irish heritage on both sides of her family, she didn’t know much about it, and wanted to learn more about her Irish history. She also saw being colleen as another way to serve her community.
Court member Caban is 18 years old and a senior at Westfield High School. She is a member of the indoor track team, National Honor Society, Conservation Club, and Multicultural Club. She is a Student Council representative and serves as the chapter head for Letters for Rose Club.
Caban plans on attending Western New England University in the fall and majoring in engineering science with a concentration in environmental engineering. She would eventually like to work in Boston or abroad after earning her degree.
LeClair is 17 and a senior at Westfield High School. LeClair has achieved honor roll all four years and is a member of the National Honor Society. She is an assistant in the WHS main office, participates in the athletic trainer internship, and is a member of the volleyball team. She is also president of Collins Cause.
LeClair hopes to attend the University of Connecticut and pursue a degree in allied health. She would like to eventually work with children in a hospital setting.
Two members of this year’s 42nd Sons of Erin colleen court are from South wick Regional High School.
Proietti is 17 years old and a senior at Southwick Regional High School. Proietti has achieved high honors all four years of school, is a member of the National Honor Society and serves as the vice president of the Class of 2025. She is a member of the Connections Club, varsity soccer and varsity track and field team for which she was a state championship qualifier.
In the fall, Proietti will be attending Saint Micheal’s College and majoring in environmental science.
Clark is 17 years old and a senior at Southwick Regional School. She serves as captain of both the indoor and outdoor varsity track teams. She is a member of the Connections Club, National Honor Society, and serves as a unified peer mentor.
Upon graduation, Clark will be attending Plymouth State University, majoring in elementary education and youth development. She will also undertake a 4+1 master’s program to obtain her masters in special education.
Also competing for colleen and her court were Emmerson Collins, 17, of Westfield, a senior at St. Mary’s High School; Kalee Conner, 17, of Chester, a senior at Westfield High School; Brena Hawley, 17, of Southwick, a senior at Southwick Regional High School; Alexandria Monczka, 20, of Southwick, a sophomore at Westfield State University, and Kaitlin Roxo, 17, of Westfield, a junior at St. Mary’s High School.
All of the contestants in the colleen contest received a Claddagh ring as a remembrance. Those selected for the court also received a trinket box, an Irish kilt and sweater, and will ride on the Sons of Erin float in the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade.
Battles also received a crown and a trip for two to Ireland for being named colleen.
Judges for the contest were Sarah Murphy of Agawam, a director at Market Mentors in Springfield, David Sullivan, Hampshire, Franklin and Athol district attorney, and Devin Sheehan, longtime member of the St. Patrick’s Committee of Holyoke and winner of the 2025 Thomas F. Rohan Award.
After the runway, while the judges were tabulating scores based on poise, appearance, personality and intellect, adding scores from interviews on Feb. 6, other Sons of Erin 2025 award winners were asked to say a few words.
Honored were the Sons of Erin Irishman of the Year Jim Laverty, a lifetime member of the Sons of Erin who has served on the Board of Directors as a member, vice president and president.
A graduate of Westfield State College and the University of Massachusetts, Laverty retired after a 30-year career in education as a teacher and educational administrator. He also served the city of Westfield on the School Committee, the City Council, Gas and Electric Commission and the Water Commission.
Laverty also served his country, enlisting in the United States Marine Corps after high school, when he was deployed to Vietnam in July of 1968 and served with the 9th Marines Regiment as a rifleman and radio operator. He is a proud member of the American Legion and the Vietnam Veterans of America.
“To be recognized at this point in time is truly an honor,” Laverty said.
Also honored was the 2025 Dorothy Griffin Irish Woman of the Year Sally Popoli, a member of the Sons of Erin since 1985.
Popoli was involved with the Auxiliary and served as the treasurer for several years; helped at the Children’s Christmas Parties; and marched many years in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Once a full member, she served on the Scholarship Committee, and helped out behind the scenes at many club activities.
She received a BSN from Columbia University, and a masters in educational psychology from AIC. She worked as a school nurse for the Westfield Public Schools for 28 years, retiring in 2012.
Popoli said when she got the call about the award, she was speechless. She called the years since becoming a club member in 1985, “an exhilarating experience,” and said she hoped that she helped to make it a better club for the future. She said she only wished that her life partner Jack Glynn were there to cheer her on.
2025 Westfield Parade Marshal Timothy O’Connor was introduced by 2024 Parade Marshal Kellie Brown.
Brown listed O’Connor’s contributions to the community, including serving on the Westfield School Committee for 16-plus years, on the St. Mary’s Finance Council for 10-plus years, and on the board of the Boys and Girls Club for five-plus years.
O’Connor, who is a vice president of claim operations and administration for Davies Life and Health in Springfield, has also coached in the Westfield Youth Sport program, Parks & Rec and Suburban basketball.
O’Connor received a bachelor’s in finance from the University of Colorado, and a master’s in business administration from American International College.
Brown thanked the committee for granting her year as the 2024 Westfield Parade Marshal, “To say I enjoyed myself is an understatement,” she said.
Also winning the Billy Buzzee St. Pat on the Back award was the Colleen Committee, which takes on the responsibility of organizing, planning and facilitating the annual selection process to crown the colleen and her court. Colleen Committee members include Helen Tymeson (Chair), Beth Burns, Kara Herman, Rosemarie Hodgdon, Anne Killam, Tracy Oleksak, Karen Regan and Kerri Tymeson.
The 2024 Sons of Erin colleen Sydney Drugan and members of her court, Grace Hanna, Brie Kelly-Barrett, Katelyn Jones and Riley McDonnell then announced the 2025 colleen and her court, presenting them with flowers and congratulations.
