Hannah Mullen has known about the 500 Festival Princess Program her entire life.
“My mom was in the Princess Program in 1999 and she was named queen, so this year will be the 25th year of her crowning, which is really amazing,” Mullen said. “She has always been my biggest role model. She’s always been so inspiring to me just the way she puts herself out in the community and inspires other people just left a mark on me. Being raised by somebody like that, I have developed a love and passion for helping other people. I’m passionate about working with kids.”
Mullen is one of three Hamilton Southeastern High School graduates among the 33 500 Festival Princesses this year. The others are Kaitlyn Ross and Parmida Nazarloo. Jaslin Martinez, a Noblesville resident, graduated from Fishers High School in 2020.
Mullen, a Ball State University junior majoring in graphic design, said she is passionate about working with children. She looks forward to the May 11 Salesforce & JP Morgan Chase 500 Festival Kids’ Day and Rookie Run and the May 24 Memorial Service.
Ross won the Miss Indiana University title and the Miss Indiana competition in 2023.
“That was my first experience being a titleholder,” Ross said. “I realized I really loved being able to advocate for my community and to get involved. I have an organization called Advocating for the Next Generation of STEMnists, where I go into local classrooms and partner with different Bloomington organizations to discuss what it means to be woman in science and thought this would be a great way to further that initiative as well as to represent Indianapolis and the amazing 500 that we have.”
Ross, who is in her first year at the IU Maurer School of Law in Bloomington, is interested in patent and intellectual property law. She earned her undergraduate degree in biology from IU in 2023.
She also enjoys working with children and is eager for Kids’ Day.
Nazarloo, an Indiana University junior majoring in human biology, became interested in the Princess Program when two members of her Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority were Princesses in 2023.
“They’re both similar to me and we have the same values,” Nazarloo said. “They both recommended me to apply. I’ve never seen an opportunity like the Princess Program. I think it’s cool that we can not only represent the festival but our own hometowns,”
Nazarloo enjoys working with children and plans to go into the medical field, probably pediatrics.
Martinez is majoring in public health at Purdue University.
“My favorite part about this program is being able to get out in the community and make an impact on many individuals, specifically minorities, as well as those in grade schools who have bad homes or financial disparities,” she said. “I have the privilege to be a mentor for these students as well as a tutor after school in the Lafayette community and Indianapolis. I have gained great mentors through the program that I can network with for post-graduate options as I’m graduating this May. I’m also fostering and building friendships with the other Princesses.”
She is applying to schools for their physicians’ assistant programs.
Martinez is eager for the 500 Festival Parade May 25 and seeing the prestigious guests at the Breakfast at the Brickyard.
“I just want to get the experience of being on the float and waving to all the people,” Martinez said.
