4 IU students named 2011 500 Festival Princesses

Out of 278 applicants, 33 women have been chosen as 2011 500 Festival Princesses, representing the 500 Festival Program, the 2011 Indianapolis 500, their hometowns and their universities.

Four of those women are IU Hoosiers. They were chosen based on their communication skills, poise, academic performance and community and volunteer involvement.

The 500 Festival was created in 1957 to celebrate the “greatest spectacle in racing” through community events and has grown to sponsor such events as the Indianapolis Power and Light 500 Festival Parade, the 500 Festival Mini-Marathon Expo and the 500 Festival Princess Program.

To qualify for the 500 Festival Princess Program, women must be between 19 and 23 years old, single, legal residents of Indiana and full-time students at a fully accredited Indiana college or university and maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.8 on a 4.0 scale.

The queen will be crowned May 21 during the Breakfast at the Brickyard by racing legend Mario Andretti and will receive a $2,500 scholarship.

Danielle Dickinson
From the time she was 4, Danielle Dickinson knew she wanted to be a princess. But she didn’t want to be just any princess. She wanted to be a 500 Festival Princess.

“I was 4 years old, and that was the first time I really remember going. I went with my dad, and he had pit passes, and I saw the princesses, and I said, ‘Daddy, who are they?’”

This year, Dickinson is living her dream.

Dickinson is a fifth-year senior majoring in exercise science who recently picked up a major in elementary education, which forced her to stay another year.

As a princess, the Westfield, Ind., native said she is hoping to bring her race experiences to others through outreach, particularly to kids. She said she is especially excited about the track program that brings fourth-graders to the Speedway for tours.

“I think that was the thing I was most excited about when I found out I got it,” she said. “I love kids. I’ve already signed up for I don’t know how many days. I think six out of eight.”

Dickinson’s involvement in outreach extends far beyond her princess duties. During her first four years at IU, she was involved in Kappa Delta sorority. She has volunteered with the Boys & Girls club since her sophomore year, and she currently plays bingo twice a week at Red Bud Hills retirement home.

Dickinson said she plans to continue to apply her love of children and outreach to her future in education. She said she thinks her childhood dream will help her beyond just race weekend.

“I really think having the opportunity to be a princess and gain leadership skills will give me the skills for my future,” she said.

— Lauren Sedam

Riley Hoffman

Like most Hoosiers, sophomore Riley Hoffman grew up with the Indianapolis 500 and, consequently, the 500 Festival Princess program.

“I grew up in Indianapolis so I always knew about it,” the Greenwood, Ind., native said. “We always listened to the race with friends and family by the pool.”

A graduate from Center Grove High School, Hoffman said she views being a 500 princess as an opportunity to represent Indianapolis, a place she said she is happy to call home.

“I’m proud of the city and all its ties throughout the U.S.,” she said.

Hoffman said she also looks forward to being an ambassador for not only Indianapolis but the entire state during the 500 Festival.

In the next few weeks, Hoffman will visit local elementary schools and read to different classes to help fulfill her outreach requirement.

As part of the program, each princess is required to do at least two community outreaches before the 500 Festival Queen is crowned.

However, the rest of the princess’ roles do not stop once the Queen is announced.

Looking at her planner to make sure she got the exact date right, Hoffman said she is most excited about being part of the Chase Kids Day on May 15. After she graduates, the exercise science major said she would ultimately like to work at Riley Children’s Hospital as a pediatric physician’s assistant.

“I just love kids,” she said. “I think they’re incredible.”

— Danielle Rindler

Victoria Meyer
Junior and nursing major Victoria Meyer will be seeing the race for the first time. And, as a princess, she will be seeing it from the inside of the track. Her father and brother are big race fans who go to the Indianapolis 500 every year, but this year they will also be there supporting her. She said this is the first year she applied to be a 500 Festival Princess, which she said has a rigorous selection process.

First was a five-minute interview with three judges, which cut the applicant pool from 278 to 66. Two weekends later Meyer had a longer interview with a panel of seven judges who cut the pool from 66 to the final 33.

“I think people perceive it as a beauty pageant or something,” Meyer said. “There are events two or three times a day. It’s not a beauty pageant. You have to be well-rounded individuals.”

As a princess, Meyer is an official ambassador of the entire festival, which encompasses the Indianapolis 500 as well as events in the community. She said she’s most excited about the parade, when all the princesses dress in evening gowns and wave to the crowd from their very own float.

“Something like 300,000 people come to the parade,” she said.

— John Seasly

Lauren Ratcliff

At 14 years old, senior Lauren Ratcliff’s life changed. While on vacation at Lake Cumberland in Kentucky, Ratcliff was riding on a jetski when she was struck by another jetski. The collision almost took her life, but ever since that day she said she views life completely differently.

“It changed my outlook on life,” she said. “I try to be as positive as I can each and
every day.”

That positive outlook is now being carried over into Ratcliff’s work as a 500 Festival Princess. A policy analysis and legal studies major from West Lafayette, Ratcliff said she found out about the program from Katie Rayl, her Zeta Tau Alpha sorority sister, who was first runner-up two years ago.

Besides having the free time to participate, Ratcliff said she wanted to be a 500 princess because of the outreach programs and the history the program has. She said the princesses are involved with many activities that include visiting hospitals, schools and nursing homes, and she said she is excited to take part.

Growing up, Ratcliff said her family would watch the race but they were not huge fans. But because the Indianapolis 500 is a big part of Indiana, she said she can’t wait to be a part of it.

“I was born and raised a Hoosier,” she said. “So I’m excited for a very unique experience and to be immersed in the culture of the race.”

Ratcliff will graduate this May and said she plans on attending one of the 11 law schools she applied to. She said she would like to pursue working in environmental law or with intellectual property rights.

Ratcliff said she would recommend the program to any woman who is the least bit
interested.

“If you really put yourself out there and have fun while you are working, you will get everything you want out of it,” she said.

— Jake Wright