Caroline D’Emic will attend her first Great Irish Fair this weekend, and she will do so as its queen – that is, as the Colleen Queen.
“The whole thing is lovely,” said D’Emic, 18, a senior at Fontbonne Hall Academy, Bay Ridge. Having seen pictures of previous Colleen Queens donning twinkling tiaras and satiny sashes, she said, “I always thought it was really cool.”
Born and raised in Bay Ridge, she is the second of three children born to William and Suzanne. She has an older sister, Emily, 19, and a younger brother Liam, 11.
The family attends St. Anselm Church, Bay Ridge, and D’Emic is a proud graduate of the parish school.
“Going to Catholic school is a such a privilege,” she said, referring to her years both at St. Anselm and Fontbonne. “I’ve learned good, strong values from my teachers,” which mirror the ones that have been fostered at home.
“My parents have taught me to be good and kind and giving,” D’Emic said.
She describes her mother, a school nurse, as a “strong, compassionate lady,” and her dad, an FDNY lieutenant, as “a great guy, hilarious and very patient.”
“They’re like the best people ever. I feel so lucky to have them,” she said.
Helping Others ‘Feels Good’
Service to others is perhaps the greatest lesson she has learned both at home and in school – and one that guides her choices in life. She has volunteered in the religious education program at St. Patrick’s Church, Bay Ridge, and in the soup kitchen at Xavier H.S., Manhattan. A former step dancer herself, she currently volunteers with the Buckley School of Irish Dance, assisting with step dance lessons for children in kindergarten through grade eight.
Of her service work, she says, “It feels good to help others.”
Her ability to balance her volunteer activities with her studies impressed Fontbonne’s administrators so much so that she earned a service scholarship, which she continues to maintain.
As she looks to her future, she plans to pursue a career in education, specifically speech pathology, because she enjoys working with children and helping them achieve their goals.
“My little brother is autistic, and I used to sit in on his speech pathology sessions,” she shared. “It really inspired me to want to do that.”
Serving as Colleen Queen, D’Emic is proud to represent her Irish heritage, which she traces to County Limerick on both sides of her family. Limerick is on her list of places to visit when she eventually travels to the Emerald Isle.
“The Irish people have been strong through struggle,” she said. “It’s nice to have that kind of blood running through you. And it has taught me to be a very independent and strong young woman.”
