The St. Patrick’s Parade Committee of West Springfield hosted its annual float design contest in collaboration with the 8th-grade class from West Springfield Middle School, held in November. Isha Suleiman emerged as the 2024 Float Design Award recipient, her design selected based on designated criteria reflecting the history of Irish descendants in West Springfield. During the award presentation, facilitated by Dr. Peter Gillen, the school’s principal, Isha, initially unaware of her selection, received the news from Chris Thompson, Parade Committee President, that her design would lead the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade on March 17th. Isha, known for her artistic prowess and passion for Art and Reading, envisions a future as a Botanist, aspiring to utilize plants for medicinal purposes, with dreams of relocating to Italy. Engaged in the construction of her design, she eagerly anticipates seeing her creation materialize and will proudly march alongside her float creation on parade day.