2022 500 Festival Princesses
The 2022 500 Festival Princesses represented 15 Indiana colleges and universities and 22 cities and towns across the state. With a cumulative GPA of 3.62, this class was selected from hundreds of applicants based on communication skills, academic performance, community involvement, commitment to service, and leadership.
Melissa Aceves
Columbus, a graduate of Columbus North High School, and a senior at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) majoring in community health
Cieara Anderson
Greentown, graduate of Eastern High School, and a sophomore at Purdue University majoring in visual arts and design education
Gabbie Black
Brownsburg, a graduate of Brownsburg High School, and a freshman at Indiana University majoring in exercise science
Emily Bultinck
Indianapolis, a graduate of Heritage Christian High School, and a junior at Purdue University majoring in biomedical engineering
Maia Campbell
Kokomo, a graduate of Western High School, and a senior at Ball State University majoring in biology
Maria De Leon
Indianapolis, a graduate of Crispus Attucks High School, and a senior at Butler University majoring in political science, critical communications, and media studies
Emily Deldar
Carmel, a graduate of Carmel High School, and a sophomore at Purdue University majoring in speech, language, and hearing sciences & psychological sciences
Jayden Emenhiser
Lafayette, a graduate of Rossville Jr/Sr High School, and a freshman at Indiana University Kokomo majoring in biology
Lexi Giddens
Whiteland, a graduate of Whiteland Community High School, and a junior at Franklin College majoring in biology
Claire Goodwin
Pendleton, a graduate of Pendleton Heights High School, and a senior at Indiana Wesleyan University majoring in nursing
Katherine Grabowski
Terre Haute, a graduate of Terre Haute South Vigo High School, and a senior at Marian University majoring in political science and communication
Caroline Gretencord
Fishers, a graduate of Hamilton Southeastern High School, and a senior at Indiana University majoring in Spanish and speech, language, and hearing sciences
Juliana Hand
Carmel, a graduate of Carmel High School, and a sophomore at Indiana University majoring in game design
Madeline Heath
Carmel, a graduate of Carmel High School, and a sophomore at Indiana University majoring in marketing
Kamryn Kikta
Brazil, a graduate of Northview High School, and a senior at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College majoring in nursing
Jourdan Klemann
Vincennes, a graduate of South Knox High School, and a junior at Indiana State University majoring in business administration
Lexi Leisure
Noblesville, a graduate of Noblesville High School, and a junior at Ball State University majoring in elementary education
Elainy McCoy
Covington, a graduate of Covington Community High School and a senior at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) majoring in nursing
Risha Mehta
Yorktown, a graduate of Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities, and a junior at Indiana University majoring in psychology and neuroscience
Kristina Mikhailova
Originally from Saint Petersburg, Russia, and current Greencastle resident, a graduate of Lyceum 64, and a senior at DePauw University majoring in physics and mathematics
Unnathi Nayak
Originally from Dubai, UAE, and current Indianapolis resident, a graduate of Indian High School, and a junior at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) majoring in management, marketing, and international studies
Jullianna Niebbia
Warsaw, a graduate of Warsaw Community High School, and a senior at Purdue University majoring in English with a concentration in English education
Yuki Oshima
Originally from Utsnomiya, Japan, and current Indianapolis resident, a graduate of Utsunomiya-Minami High School, and a senior at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) majoring in global and international studies
Blanca Osorio-Ortega
Greenwood, a graduate of Greenwood Community High School, and a junior at the University of Indianapolis majoring in political science and international relations
Maddy Phipps
Danville, a graduate of Danville Community High School, and a junior at the University of Indianapolis majoring in marketing and pursuing a master of business administration
Lauren Pilkington
McCordsville, a graduate of Mt. Vernon High School, and a senior at the University of Southern Indiana majoring in radio and television
Meghan Reddy
Fishers, a graduate of Hamilton Southeastern High School, and a senior at Indiana University majoring in finance and international business
Leigh Anne Roth
Carmel, a graduate of Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School, and a junior at Indiana University majoring in pre-optometry
Delaney Tejcek
Carmel, a graduate of Carmel High School, and a senior at Purdue University majoring in law and society
Mary-Matalyn Tom
Carmel, a graduate of Carmel High School, and a senior at Indiana University Kokomo majoring in biochemistry
Mary Tragesser-Tina
Atlanta, a graduate of Tipton High School, and a junior at Ball State University majoring in biology, pre-med
Mia Wagner
Carmel, a graduate of Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School, and a sophomore at the University of Notre Dame majoring in psychology
Madeline Worcester
Westfield, a graduate of St. Theodore Guerin High School, and a junior at Marian University majoring in marketing
2022 Marlyne Sexton 500 Festival Queen Scholar Award Recipient
Melissa aceves
Hometown: Columbus, IN
High School: Columbus North High School
University: Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
Major: community health
“More than three times a week, I get the opportunity to watch the sky rise or set coming from a Princess Program event,” said Aceves. “As I gaze at the sunset/sunrise, the many colors fill my heart with warmth, happiness, and grief. The day of orientation was my dad’s 3rd anniversary since his death, but there wasn’t anywhere else I wanted to be. I felt like I honored my dad by spending the day learning about the opportunities to make an impact on the lives of our community.” “As a 500 Festival Princess, I had the courage to tell my story at Brookes Place with teenagers and children who lost their parents, siblings, or grandparents. I promised a 5-year-old girl who lost her parents, who hugged me and told me she never wanted to let go. I promised a 14-year-old boy who spoke about his loved one for the first time and expressed that his mom loved cars. I promised the children at Brookes Place that I would apply to be the Marlyne Sexton 500 Festival Queen Scholar. A key message I have learned and will take to my life is that although being vulnerable is difficult, that is how we can connect and transform our pain into hope and love for our community.”
Marlyne Sexton 500 Festival Queen Scholar Award
In 2015, the 500 Festival added a $1,000 scholarship for each of the 33 500 Festival Princess selected to the program, made possible by the 500 Festival Foundation and Marlyne Sexton, an Indianapolis philanthropist and president of the Sexton Companies. Prior to 2015, only the woman selected as the 500 Festival Queen Scholar received a scholarship. In 2019, Marlyne Sexton made a generous commitment to the 500 Festival Foundation to establish a fund enduring that scholarships for all 33 500 Festival Princess will be covered in perpetuity. To thank Marlyne for her generosity and support of the Princess Program, the 500 Festival Queen Scholar award was named in her honor.
Past 500 Festival Queen Scholars