INDIANAPOLIS – May is an exciting month in Indiana. Thousands of college students celebrate graduation and start their next chapter, while race fans descend upon the Hoosier state to see the greatest spectacle in racing, the Indianapolis 500.
Isra Haider is doing both but has a unique view when it comes to the Indianapolis 500. Haider, who is graduating this month (in May) with honors, double majored in biology and sociology, and her time at IUPUI and the School of Science is crowned with her involvement in the 500 Festival Princess program.
Haider is one of 33 princesses who were selected from hundreds of applicants based on communication skills, academic performance, community involvement, commitment to service and leadership. All things Haider is no stranger to.
“During my time at IUPUI, I was involved with several student organizations, particularly Women4Change@IUPUI, the Undergraduate Student Government, Jagathon, and the Pakistani Student Association,” said Haider.
Women4Change at IUPUI's mission is to advocate for positive change for Hoosier women.
“Through this organization, I have become more aware of different issues Hoosiers currently face and tools like education and political activism to advocate for needed change. As an officer for the club, I helped organize different service, educational, and empowerment activities to help IUPUI students get involved with civic engagement,” said Haider.
On the academic side, Haider did research with Nick Berbari, Ph.D., her freshman year when she started as a biology first-year apprentice.
“Dr. Berbari has been an important mentor to me during my time at IUPUI, and in his lab, I learned important skills needed for bench research like pipetting, making solutions, autoclaving, and PCR,” stated Haider. “The following two years, I was a student researcher in Dr. Raghu Mirmira and Dr. Ryan Anderson’s diabetes lab at the Wells Center for Pediatric Research through programs such as MURI, LHSI, and UROP. First, I worked on a project characterizing the G-Protein Coupled Receptor 31 (GPR31) and its role in the development of diabetes using a mouse model. I also worked on a project studying the relationship between NAFLD and Type 2 Diabetes in a zebrafish model.”
Haider’s passion to help others is evident in her involvement in several campus organizations. She discovered by watching her peers participate in the 500 Festival Princess program that it was the perfect platform to enhance her service to the community.
“During my time as a Princess, I’m using my platform to empower girls and women to engage in the community. I believe it is important to have women in leadership roles and that we can make a difference in our communities,” explained Haider.
While the 2021 500 Festival Princess program is altered to adhere to the health safety protocols of the COVID-19 pandemic, Haider is still able to connect with organizations virtually or even in-person with masks and physical distancing.
“I have organized outreaches with several community organizations that impact and empower girls. First, I organized a workshop for the EmpowerHub program of Girls Inc. of Greater Indianapolis. I visited their program participants and discussed different forms of civic engagement. The participants shared what causes they are passionate about and discussed how they can use civic engagement to advocate for those causes. I also organized a couple of Zoom events with the Girl Scouts of Central Indiana. We discussed the Indy 500, the 500 Festival Princess Program, and worked on crafts,” said Haider.
She has also connected with juniors at her alma mater, North Central High School, to discuss college readiness, what to expect in the application process, and how college life may be different from what they’ve experienced so far.
Haider recommends the program for any young woman interested because of the great networking and mentoring opportunities but has this piece of advice for those looking to get involved.
“My main advice for those who are interested in the 500 Festival Princess Program is to become involved in their local communities. During the application and interview process, I was often asked about what I am passionate about and how I have advocated for those causes,” stated Haider. “I would also recommend gaining experience with organizing events, particularly service events. The Princesses have to organize outreaches, so gaining experience with event planning can be very beneficial.”
Haider also had a mentor during her time as a 500 Festival Princess, IUPUI Chancellor Nasser Paydar.
“I’ve been delighted to serve as a mentor through the 500 Festival Princess program over the last few years and appreciate the role our IUPUI 500 Festival Princesses like Isra play as ambassadors for our campus. As an outstanding student at IUPUI, Isra helps us share the Jaguar story throughout the city and inspires others to walk in her footsteps, pursuing higher education here in Indianapolis,” said Paydar.
Haider plans to continue with her commitment with helping others this fall. She’ll be attending IU McKinney School of Law.
“Right now, I’m interested in their dual JD-MPH degree with the IU Fairbanks School of Public Health. I’m particularly interested in social determinants of health, bioethics, and public health law and policy,” said Haider.