Baker, a 20-year-old junior from Louisville, is majoring in Economics and Finance. She is on the raiseRED executive board, a finance intern at GE Appliances, and community service director of Chi Omega sorority. Baker also volunteers at Gilda’s Club of Louisville, and taught English for a summer in Peru.Ěý

Patillo, a 22-year-old senior from Louisville, majors in Theatre Arts. She is a Benjamin A. Gilman scholarship recipient, a member of the African American Theatre Program, and has been named to the Dean’s List for five consecutive semesters. Patillo is a youth coordinator and advisor for several area churches, as well as a dance instructor for the LaNita Rocknettes School of Dance.

The court also includes Bellarmine student Elizabeth Seewer, University of Kentucky student Allison Spears, and Centre College student Kelsey Sutton.ĚýThe students will act as ambassadors for the 2019 Kentucky Derby Festival, attending nearly 70 events over a two-week period.

One of the five will be crowned the Derby Festival Queen by a spin-of-the-wheel at the annual Fillies Derby Ball on April 6 at the Louisville Marriot Downtown. Each woman will receive a $2,000 scholarship ($1,000 from the Fillies and $1,000 from the Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation).

Candidates for the Princess Program must maintain a minimum 3.0 grade-point average and are selected by a panel of three out-of-state judges. Criteria for selection includes knowledge of the Derby Festival, poise, intelligence, personality and campus and community involvement. The first Derby Festival Princess was crowned in 1957, the second year of the Festival.Ěý

The Royal Court Program is coordinated by The Fillies Inc., a volunteer group that works closely with the festival. Fillies president Debra Rayman joined KDF president and CEO Mike Berry and 2019 Derby Festival Chair Marita Willis in crowning the court last week.Ěý

It is the 9^th year the UofL School of Medicine has participated in the event, which features an official Medals4Mettle Award Ceremony after the race – 3 p.m. at Kosair Charities Clinical & Translational Research Building lobby, 505 S. Hancock St.

The program was recently featured in , which includes a profile of one of the “buddy” pairs – UofL student Natalie Spiller and Moriah Bonner, a toddler battling sickle cell anemica. Another patient’s father chased Spiller along last year’s route to express his appreciation for her effort.

The Medals4Mettle program was started by Steven Isenberg, an Indianapolis surgeon, who presented his 2003 Chicago Marathon medal to a friend battling prostate cancer.

Then-student Riley Jones brought the program to UofL’s School of Medicine in 2009 with support from former Chief of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Salvatore J. Bertolone Jr.

The first year included 11 med school participants. Last year’s event featured 87 students, including Spiller.

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