INDIANAPOLIS (May 17, 2025) – The 500 Festival announced Chelsea Murdock of Fishers, Indiana, as the 2025 500 Festival Queen Scholar. The announcement was made during the 500 Festival Breakfast at the Brickyard, presented by Midwestern Engineers, Inc. event held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway earlier today.  

Chelsea is a sophomore at Ball State University and pursuing a degree in Secondary English Education. She is actively involved in student leadership as the president of the Student Government Association, Risk Prevention Chair for the Black Student Association, and serves as an Excellence in Leadership ambassador and peer mentor across multiple colleges at Ball State University. Throughout her roles in various extracurricular activities, Chelsea serves as a leader and mentor to those around her, stating, “Leadership and service are not measured in the quantity of lives we touch, nor how many people witness the impact of our helping others. Instead, the value of these experiences is in the individual, impactful moments of philanthropy and connection.” 

Chelsea is one of 33 Indiana college-aged women selected for the 2025 500 Festival Princess Program, presented by The National Bank of Indianapolis, in which they serve as ambassadors for the 500 Festival, their hometowns, and their colleges and universities. Serving as a 500 Festival Princess plays a vital role in fulfilling the 500 Festival’s mission to create a positive impact on Indianapolis and the state of Indiana. These Princesses have had the chance to experience the Month of May in a special way, by educating Hoosiers about the iconic history of the 500 Festival through the statewide outreach program, celebrating the spirit of the Indianapolis 500, and serving their communities. 

Each 500 Festival Princess received a $1,500 scholarship, made possible by Marlyne Sexton, an Indianapolis philanthropist and president of The Sexton Companies, and the 500 Festival Foundation. In addition, each 500 Festival Princess is gifted a custom pendant, courtesy of Khamis Fine Jewelers. 

When asked to reflect on a moment when she truly felt the impact of her role and how she used her voice, skills, or actions to create meaningful change, Chelsea stated, “One day, I walked into a room resembling my first-grade class. As a duo sat at my feet, one student whispered to her friend, ‘You have hair like her! And skin, too.’ The other girl looked at her skin, then up at me, and gasped. She jumped up and said, ‘We both have brown skin! And we have the same hair! I look like you, and you’re a princess!’ Later, when I asked what they thought it meant to be royalty, she said, ‘I can be a princess because I am kind?’ I witnessed her realizing her royalty. Not because of our shared appearance, but because of her heart. Answering her with an enthusiastic ‘yes!’ has been one of the most rewarding moments of my life.” 

As the 500 Festival Queen Scholar, Chelsea is the recipient of an additional $1,500 educational scholarship from the 500 Festival Foundation. She will wear the one-of-a-kind 500 Festival Queen Scholar’s crown at 500 Festival events and the Indianapolis 500 and participate in a variety of activities throughout the week, including the Indianapolis 500 pre-race and Victory Circle celebrations. She will continue to represent the 500 Festival at various functions throughout the year.  

The 2025 Princess class represents 17 Indiana colleges and universities and 20 cities and towns across the state. With a cumulative GPA of 3.70, 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.  

Support for the 500 Festival Princess Program is provided by: The National Bank of Indianapolis, Marlyne Sexton, Khamis Fine Jewelers, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Wildman Business Group, and the 500 Festival Foundation.  

To learn more about the 500 Festival Princess Program, presented by The National Bank of Indianapolis, please visit 500festival.com/Princess or search #PrincessProgram on social media.