IU East nursing student chosen as one of this year’s 500 Princesses
Brooke Sahm, a junior nursing major at Indiana University East, has been named as one of this year’s 500 Festival Princesses. Sahm is from Indianapolis and a 2011 graduate of Roncalli High School.
Sahm joins 33 women from across the state selected as ambassadors for the 2014 500 Festival Princess Program. Among the ambassadors are women representing nine colleges and universities from 24 cities and towns.
“My excitement for the Indianapolis 500 and the 500 Festival is why I wanted to be a part of this program,” Sahm said. “I look forward to this time every May. I’m especially excited to represent Indianapolis and the 500 Festival this year as an ambassador.”
Since she was 6 years old, Sahm has been a regular attendee to the 500 Festival Parade. Her mother, Karen Sahm, is a seamstress for Expo Design, one of the companies that design the parade floats for the annual 500 Festival Parade. The past two years, she has worked for Expo in building the floats and has driven a float in the parade.
In January 2014, Sahm submitted her application. There were 230 women who applied to the program and 33 were chosen based on communication skills, poise, academic performance and community and volunteer involvement.
At IU East, Sahm is one of the Office of Admissions Student Ambassadors, a group of students that shares their IU East experience and pride with potential students. She is a member of the Honors Program and has previously been a peer mentor for First-Year Seminar and former member of the volleyball team. Her community volunteer service includes mission trips through her high school to West Virginia and Appalachia, and to New Mexico Navajo reservation through her church, St. Barnabas Parish.
As a 500 Princess, Sahm will talk with primary school children about the 500 Festival and its kids programs including Kid’s Day, Rookie Run and mini-marathon, parade, Community Day, Memorial Day service and Carb Day. She also plans on doing outreaches at Girls Inc., the Richmond Boys and Girls Club, and surrounding Nursing Homes.