Melissa Aceves
INDIANAPOLIS – The 500 Festival announced Melissa Aceves, a Columbus native and graduate of Columbus North High School, has been selected as a 2022 500 Festival Princess. Melissa is a senior at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) studying community health.
The 500 Festival Princess Program, presented by The National Bank of Indianapolis, has a long history of celebrating Indiana’s most civic-minded, academically driven young women. While serving as a 500 Festival Princess, these women will be given many opportunities to grow professionally, gain mentorship from the 500 Festival Board of Directors, and develop leadership skills within their communities.
500 Festival Princesses will experience the Month of May in a unique way, serving their communities, including the 500 Festival’s statewide outreach program, which educates Hoosiers about the history of the 500 Festival and legacy of the Indianapolis 500, all while creating lifelong, meaningful connections. The 2022 500 Festival Princesses represent 15 Indiana colleges and universities and 22 cities and towns across the state. With a cumulative GPA of 3.62, this year’s 500 Festival Princesses were selected from hundreds of applicants based on leadership, academic stewardship, community involvement, and their embodiment of the Hoosier spirit.
In addition, each 500 Festival Princess will receive a $1,000 scholarship, made possible by Marlyne Sexton, an Indianapolis philanthropist and president of The Sexton Companies, and the 500 Festival Foundation.
Each year, 500 Festival Princesses conduct more than 1,500 community outreaches impacting more than 50,000 people, expanding the celebration and impact of the Indianapolis 500 in a meaningful way.
The 2022 Marlyne Sexton 500 Festival Queen Scholar will be announced on Saturday, May 21 during the 500 Festival Breakfast at the Brickyard, presented by Midwestern Engineers, Inc. The 500 Festival Queen Scholar will receive an additional $1,500 scholarship.
