Combs, a Psychology major with a minor in Pan-African Studies, is the vice president of the Caring of New Students Experiencing College Transition (CONECT) Peer Mentoring Program, a Woodford R. Porter Scholar and a Denny Crum Scholar. She is a member and the secretary of the Beta Epsilon Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Combs also participated in the medical companion program with the Louisville VA Medical Center, and worked with Global Game Changers Student Empowerment Program. While working two jobs, Combs has successfully maintained a 4.0 GPA for her senior year.

UofL junior Leah Hazelwood, from Lebanon, Kentucky, is also a member on this year’s court. She is dual majoring in Political Science and Liberal Studies with concentrations in Race and Gender Studies, Global Public Health and Economics.

Other members of the court include: Hannah Maria Edelen of Springfield, Kentucky, an honors graduate of Northern Kentucky University and currently a graduate student at UK working on her Masters in łÉČËÖ±˛Ą and Policy; Molly Jett of Louisville, a graduate of Bellarmine University and currently an on-air reporter for WMAZ; and Hannah Robb of Louisville, a senior at Bellarmine University studying Business Administration and Marketing.

This year’s court has had an historic reign since being named in 2020. Selected from a pool of more than 100 applicants, they have continued to represent the Festival in many ways and through extraordinary times.

The princesses act as ambassadors for the Derby Festival and the city as they represent the community at a variety of functions which has included virtual and in-person throughout the past year-plus.

Since 1956, the Derby Festival has worked to bring the community together in celebration. 

Patillo, a Louisville native majoring in Theatre Arts, 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. She is a youth coordinator and adviser for several area churches, as well as a dance instructor for the LaNita Rocknettes School of Dance.

The members of the Royal Court have been representing the Festival at a variety of events since their selection in January, including Festival Unveiled, the Ford Motor Company Spelling Bee and Macy’s Spring Fashion Show. They were selected as Royal Court members out of more than 100 young women who applied to participate in the program last fall.

Criteria for selection included knowledge of the Derby Festival, poise, intelligence, personality and campus/community involvement. Each woman receives two $1,000 scholarships (one from the Fillies, Inc., and one from the Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation) and an official wardrobe.

The Princesses act as ambassadors for the Derby Festival and the city as they represent the community at a variety of functions. The Fillies, Inc. was established to support the Kentucky Derby Festival. Their mission is to organize the traditional Fillies Derby Ball, coordinate the “Royal Court Program,” produce the “Children’s Tea” event, and publish the Official Derby Festival Program. Membership is limited to 250 ladies of our community.

The other members of the court include: Mary Baker of Louisville, a junior at the University of Louisville; Elizabeth Seewer of Louisville, who is in her second year of the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Bellarmine University; Allison Spears of Catlettsburg, a senior at the University of Kentucky where she is majoring in Neuroscience on the pre-law track; and Kelsey Sutton of Brandenburg, a senior at Centre College majoring in mathematics.

Brown was one of five festival princesses who earn their spots through high scholastic achievements and dedication to service within the community. She won the crown on April 8 by a spin-of-the-wheel at the annual Fillies Derby Ball.

Brown, from Crestwood, Kentucky, decided to attend UofL when she received a full-ride from the Trustees Scholarship. She is active in Greek life and serves as a campus tour guide and an intern in UofL’s Office of Communications and Marketing.

UofLNews had the chance to talk to Brown about why she embarked on this journey and the process of becoming part of the royal court:

UofLNews: What has been your fondest moment at UofL?

Brown: Getting to work under (director of Digital Media) Jeff Rushton, specifically getting to cover football games for the (OCM) department. We get to take the cameras and be down on the field and capture the excitement of the fans and the excitement of the games and it really is a unique experience as a student, not sitting in the stands but getting to be down on the field, and it’s been my favorite part of college.

UofLNews: Least fond moment?

Brown: It’s gotten a little trying, with all of the stuff going on in the media lately, especially since I’m a tour guide. You get questions about it, but just got to kind of take it in stride and remember why you love UofL so much.

UofLNews: Why did you choose to embark on this journey and become a KDF princess?

Brown: I really liked what I do as a representative of the University of Louisville as a student, and I wanted to expand that, and I know that the Kentucky Derby Festival Princesses represent not only the entire city of Louisville but the Commonwealth of Kentucky during Derby season. Also we work with a lot of kids and we promote education a lot. I love working with little kids; it’s been my favorite part of the whole experience.

UofLNews: What were your favorite things about the process?

Brown: It’s a really good experience. The first interview is a 5-minute interview and you do it in front of five judges so that’s a really unique experience and interview opportunity. You won’t do that a lot, so you have to make sure that you make the points you want to make and get who you are across to those judges to make it to the final round. This year it was really cool (because) one of the final judges was Monte Durham from “Say Yes To The Dress,” so you got to meet him and get the experience of interviewing in front of a high profile client as well.

UofLNews: What surprised you about the process?

Brown: I felt a lot more comfortable than I thought I would in the interviews, especially the final round judges. They’re all from out of state but they did a really good job of making the room a comfortable environment.

UofLNews: How do you want to change the world?

Brown: I think kindness is really important and just being a genuinely good person, making sure you treat others the way you want to be treated. It’s an old rule but I think it’s a quality rule and that’s why it’s stuck around for so long. That’s something that I hope shines through in my everyday life, that’s something that I hope to instill in my children as well. 

UofLNews: What is your favorite book?

Brown: Recently my favorite book has been “The Nightingale.” It’s a love story and a women’s empowerment story, and a survivor’s story all in one about the holocaust, so you get a bunch of different perspectives. It’s really moving and the ending is not predictable, which is the best part, but also very upsetting.

UofLNews: Favorite restaurant?

Brown: I love to eat. I think my favorite one right now is The Eagle on Bardstown Road. They’ve got a fried chicken sandwich and mac and cheese … I will say this as a power move, The Eagle has the best mac and cheese in the city of Louisville. The fried sandwich is really good, too.

UofLNews: Do you have any advice for incoming students?

Brown: My biggest piece of advice is to keep going, to apply for things and if you don’t get it pick yourself back up and apply for something else. I know a lot of students, especially if they were successful in high school, come to UofL and it’s a much larger student population. So they apply for something and they don’t get it the first time and they get super discouraged. Don’t give up on yourself, keep applying for things, and find your groove in college.

Photo provided by Jonathan Roberts.