INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WANE) – The 500 Festival announced Ayesha Saeed of Fort Wayne has been chosen as one of the princesses for this year’s event.

She is a graduate of Snider High School and is currently a junior at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis studying business management.

The 500 Festival Princess program recognizes young women from across Indiana who are civic-minded and academically driven. While serving as princesses, the chosen women will have the opportunity to get mentorship, grow professionally and develop leadership skills from the festival’s board of directors.

The princesses represent 19 colleges and universities from the across the state and 21 cities and towns in Indiana. The group has a cumulative grade point average of 3.71 and were chosen from hundreds of applicants based on academic stewardship, community involvement and leadership experience.

They will spend the month of May by serving their communities including through the festival’s statewide outreach program, which educates people about the history of the 500 festival and the legacy of the Indianapolis 500.

Each princess will do more than 1,500 hours of community outreach and will participate in the 500 Festival Leadership Development Program where participants will go make a profound impact in their communities and the state.

The chosen princesses will also receive a $1,000 scholarship and will each receive a custom pendant that incorporates a heart that symbolizes the heart of a princess, an emerald to represent May’s birthstone, and a checkered flag to recognize the Indianapolis 500.

This year’s 500 Festival Queen Scholar will be announced May 20 during the festival breakfast. The winner will receive an additional $1,500 scholarship.