To some, becoming a princess means being a pageant girl. But for one Indianapolis 500 Festival Princess, the title means more than a crown.
At first, Ball State junior Emma Haney was hesitant to apply to the program because she thought it was a pageant. However, when Haney looked into the program, she said realized it is much more.
“When I think about being a 500 Festival Princess, it is so much more than a crown,” Haney said. “Women empowering women is not anything that should be taken lightly. The fact that I get to work along[side] 33 civic-minded, strong willed, driven young women — it is just so cool.”
Haney was one of 33 Indiana residents to be selected as a 2018 Indianapolis 500 Festival Princess.
Since 1959, the Indianapolis 500 Festival Princess Program has selected nearly 2,000 Indiana women to be 500 Festival Princesses. Throughout the program, the participants are provided opportunities to grow as leaders and participate in the Indianapolis 500 Race.
Last year, Haney decided to apply to be a princess when she attended the Indianapolis 500 Race for the first time and saw the princesses there.
“At the race, the 500 princesses did [the] prerace ceremony and I was like, ‘What is happening?'” Haney said. “I loved seeing the community come together and all different walks of life and the energy — it was incredible.
“I truly could not believe I grew up 30 minutes from the track and I had never been. So it just sparked an interest.”
Haney said she couldn’t call her parents fast enough when she was selected. After delivering the news, she said her mother cried and her father couldn’t wait to tell everyone his daughter “is a princess.”
Now, Haney said she can’t wait to see how the effects the program will have on her growth.
“I only have a year left. While Ball State has offered me so many opportunities to grow and learn and gave me confidence, I just know there is so much more I have to learn,” Haney said. “I am so called to service. I love volunteering, so I am excited to see how this helps me grow there.”
Through this experience, Haney hopes to learn how to better serve her community and further her passion for working with people with disabilities.
Haney is a severe disability education major and the president of Ball State’s chapter of Best Buddies International. The nonprofit works to create opportunities for one-to-one relationships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“Best Buddies, the whole goal is that it wouldn't need to exist. I think that starts with simply spreading awareness,” Haney said. “The 500 Festival is giving me a bigger platform to spread that awareness.”
In addition to receiving a $1,000 scholarship, Haney will attend several personal and professional development sessions hosted by sponsors of the festival. Indianapolis 500 Festival Board of Trustees member Mike Strohl, who is the senior vice president of customer relations and corporate affairs at Citizens Energy Group, will also mentor Haney.
Contact Liz Rieth with comments at ejrieth@bsu.edu or on Twitter at @liz_rieth.
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