Staff Reports
A Purdue University student from Columbus has been named a 500 Festival Princess, one of 33 in the state.
Allison Grana, a Columbus North High School graduate, is a second-year student in pharmacy at Purdue.
Each 500 Festival princess receives a $1,000 scholarship, made possible in part by Marlyne Sexton, an Indianapolis philanthropist and president of the Sexton Cos.
From now through May, the 33 princesses will be involved with statewide community outreach programs, 500 Festival events and various Indianapolis 500 Motor Speedway events. That will include the pre-race ceremonies and Victory Circle celebrations.
One of the princesses will be selected as the 2015 500 Festival Queen and receive a $2,500 scholarship. The queen will be crowned May 16 during the 500 Festival Breakfast at the Brickyard.
This year’s princesses represent nine Indiana colleges and universities and 29 cities and towns across the state. With an average GPA of 3.387, they were selected for their communication skills, poise, academic performance and community involvement.
