Empowering Indiana women through civic engagement

The 500 Festival Princess Program celebrates Indiana’s most civic-minded and academically driven young women. For decades, exceptional female Purdue students have served as ambassadors of the 500 Festival, participating in service opportunities in their hometowns and Greater Lafayette in the lead-up to race day. In total, 33 princesses — matching the number of drivers in the Indy 500 — represent a variety of colleges and universities from across Indiana. Meet the five young Boilermakers representing Purdue as part of this year’s 500 Festival Princess Program. This story is part of a monthlong, behind-the-scenes look at Purdue’s storied history with the Indy 500.

Purdue at the Indy 500: For sophomore Emily Deldar, serving as a 500 Festival princess is another platform for community service

The 500 Festival Princess Program program is dedicated to celebrating 33 civic-minded, college-aged women every year to represent the festival. The program really stuck out to me because I’ve always been really inspired by working in my community on service projects, doing leadership through service.

When I was in middle school choir, I was assigned to be a helper and mentor to a student with Down syndrome. I ended up getting really close with his family. Ever since, I was drawn to that population. I did a lot of work with Special Olympics in high school, too.

That definitely inspired me to want to continue working with children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I’ve also always been interested in health care, so speech language pathology is just kind of a way to combine those passions.

I’m able to work with children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. But I’m also able to work in a hospital setting with patients who have been through a traumatic injury or a stroke or another occurrence like that. It gives me the best of both worlds.

Through my experiences, I have learned to understand the importance of inclusion and empowerment. The best leaders are people who lift others up and strive to make everyone feel seen. The Princess Program empowers women like me to be able to serve. It gives us the platform to make meaningful change throughout our communities.

The 500 Festival Princess Program really stuck out to me because I’ve always been inspired by working in my community on service projects, doing leadership through service.

Emily Deldar
speech, language and hearing sciences; psychological sciences, ’24

This student spotlight is part of a special series highlighting Purdue’s many connections to the Indy 500. Thank you to sophomore Emily Deldar (speech, language, and hearing sciences; and psychological sciences, ’24) for sharing your story with us.

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