Riley Hoffman
INDIANAPOLIS (May 21, 2011) – The 500 Festival announced today that Riley Hoffman of Greenwood was crowned the 2011 500 Festival Queen at the Breakfast at the Brickyard, presented by ProLiance Energy, held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway®.
Hoffman is a sophomore at Indiana University where she is majoring in Pre-Medical Studies. She is one of 33 young women who were selected for the 2011 500 Festival Princess Program, where they serve as ambassadors for the 500 Festival and Indianapolis 500®. She is a 2009 graduate of Center Grove High School and is the daughter of Ted and Bev Hoffman.
Princess Laken Kurtz of Muncie, a senior at Ball State University majoring in Elementary Education, and Princess Alexandra Norman of Zionsville, a junior at Purdue University majoring in Public Relations, were chosen as 2011 Princess Court members. Kurtz is the daughter of Kent and Jennifer Kurtz. Norman is the daughter of Brian and Pamela Norman.
The 500 Festival Queen and Princesses attend 500 Festival events and volunteer throughout the month of May. In addition, the 33 princesses are involved with statewide outreach programs of their choosing. Princesses are also present at various Indianapolis Motor Speedway® functions and participate in the Indianapolis 500® Victory Circle celebration.
As 500 Festival Queen, Hoffman is the recipient of a $2,500 educational scholarship from the 500 Festival and WTHR Channel 13. In addition, Hoffman will wear a jeweled crown provided by G. Thrapp Jewelers at 500 Festival events and the Indianapolis 500®. She will participate in a variety of appearances throughout the week and participate in the Indianapolis 500® pre-race and Victory Circle celebrations. She will continue to represent the 500 Festival at various functions throughout the year.
The 500 Festival Princesses represent 11 Indiana colleges and universities and 24 Hoosier cities and towns.The young women were selected from 278 applicants based on communication skills, poise, academic performance and community and volunteer involvement. The princesses will help commemorate the 2011 500 Festival and the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500® Mile Race.
To be eligible for the 500 Festival Princess Program, applicants must be between the ages of 19 and 23, single and legal residents of Indiana. Candidates must also be full-time students in a fully-accredited Indiana college or university and maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.8 on a 4.0 scale. This year’s Princesses’ collective GPA is 3.43.
Sponsors for the 500 Festival Princess Program include G.Thrapp Jewelers, WTHR Channel 13 and Indiana Blood Center. Apparel and accessory providers include The Secret Ingredient, Indianapolis Motor Speedway® and Vera Bradley.
http://www.500festival.com/news/index.asp?news_id=350
Christina DeVoe
Miss Indiana International 2010
“Education, dedication, and ambition are three imperative assets that a successful young woman must possess in today's society."
--Christina DeVoe, Miss Rockford 2006
Many educational experiences, especially studying classical piano for eighteen years, have instilled these valuable assets in Christina. In amassing over a thousand hours of performance experience, it became very clear that she truly belongs on stage -- whether it may be performing her original music, modeling, acting, or speaking on platform issues that she feels strongly about. She has been modeling professionally, enduring heavy musical training in every performance aspect, and recently graduated from Loyola University with a Bachelors of Art in Music and Bachelors of Art in Political Science. Christina is a 2007 Face of L.A. Tan Model Search Winner and can be seen on L.A. Tan Billboards and magazine advertisements in the Chicago area. She is working as a runway/commercial/print model. Currently, she holds the title of Miss Indiana International 2010.
Jeanene Mershon Christy
Mrs. Indiana America 2010
Jeanene lives in Greenwood with her husband Derrick and their two children Blake and Jena. She is a graduate of Center Grove High School and studied Technical Graphics at Purdue University. Jeanene and her husband own Approved Mortgage in Greenwood where she worked along side her husband for over 12 years. She now works from home on their production company Starlight Productions; writing movie scripts and working on a national tour for their current national recording artist Brianne. She will finish filming a movie this summer where she and her son Blake have a "mother and son" role together. Jeanene recently finished her reign as Mrs. Indiana 2010 and competed last September at Mrs. America in Tucson AZ. She won Mrs. Photogenic and a trip to Mrs. World for her fundraising efforts to the foundation MENC (National Association for Music Education). Jeanene has a heart for fundraising events and enjoys donating her original art to local charities for auction.