For Hannah Pensyl, the journey to becoming an Indy 500 Festival Princess Program princess is rooted not in lifelong tradition but in a desire to serve and create meaningful impact in the community she now calls home.
At 22, Pensyl is forging an ambitious path. A Westfield High School graduate and Purdue University alumna, she is now a first-year student at the Indiana University School of Dentistry, aiming to become an orthodontist, and this spring, she joins 32 other women in the Indy 500 Festival Princess Program.
“I felt like the values of the program aligned so beautifully with my own,” Pensyl says. “Education, service and fitness are things I’ve always prioritized, and I wanted to bring those values to people across Indiana.”
Unlike some of her fellow princesses, Pensyl didn’t grow up immersed in Indy 500 traditions. Her introduction to the program came through Purdue friends who had participated. “The more I learned about it, the more I felt like it was something I wanted to be part of,” she says.
Her first major initiative as a princess was “Give Kids a Smile” at the Indiana University School of Dentistry, where she served on the planning board. The event offered free dental care to 115 children, totaling more than $26,000 in services.
“It was incredible to see it all come together,” she says. “Just knowing we were able to make that kind of impact for families was really special.”
She also partnered with Girls on the Run at Westfield Intermediate School, running alongside students, and this May will serve as grand marshal for a student “Indy 500” parade at Maple Glen Elementary.
Pensyl’s commitment to service predates the princess program. At Purdue University, she volunteered with the Indiana Veterans Home, Purdue Dance Marathon and College Mentors for Kids. Since moving to Indianapolis, she has supported the Kids Club at the Indiana University School of Dentistry, providing oral health education to underserved youth.
“Oral health is so connected to overall health, and a lot of people don’t realize that,” she says. “If we can teach kids early, it sets the foundation for the rest of their lives.”
That sense of community impact has taken on new meaning through the princess program itself, which has broadened Pensyl’s view of what the Indianapolis 500 represents.
“I didn’t realize how separate the festival is from the race, or how much it focuses on community outreach,” she says. “It’s amazing to see how many people it reaches, from young kids to veterans.”
The experience has also pushed her outside her comfort zone, particularly in public speaking. And while the growth has been personal, the gratitude runs deep.
“It’s challenged me to put myself out there more,” she says. “But it’s helped me grow. I feel incredibly honored and grateful,” she says.
As Pensyl continues through the program, she embraces a new Indiana tradition while shaping one for her own family, grounded in service and purpose.
