When the 500 Festival Parade rolls through downtown Indianapolis this month, among the waving royalty will be someone who knows her way around a campsite just as well as she does a red carpet. Natalie Restivo, who goes by Nat, has combined two iconic Indiana traditions: the Indy 500 and Scouting.
Nat, a nursing major at the University of Southern Indiana with minors in social work and medical humanities, has built her path on a foundation of service, leadership, and resilience. Her Scouting journey began long before she could earn a merit badge—tagging along with her brother’s troop where her mom served as Scoutmaster. When girls were officially welcomed into Scouts BSA in 2019, her mother helped charter Troop 308G in Plainfield, Indiana, and Nat didn’t hesitate to join—though she admits she was nervous her friends wouldn’t follow.
“Years later, I wish I could talk to my younger self and tell her about the new community I was introduced to and friends that became family,” Nat reflects.
In May 2022, Nat earned the rank of Eagle Scout. That same week, she completed her Ordeal to become a member of the Order of the Arrow. Later that summer, while serving as an aquatics counselor at Ransburg Scout Reservation, she earned the Firecrafter rank. Less than a year later, in March 2023, she became a Brotherhood member of the Order of the Arrow. These experiences challenged her, but they also deepened her passion for Scouting and for helping others grow.
Now, as a 500 Festival Princess, Nat is continuing to serve—this time in the public eye. Her duties include organizing community outreach events, volunteering with nonprofits, and representing the festival at major events like the Indy 500. But for Nat, it’s the small moments that matter most. She recalls attending the parade as a child and locking eyes with a Princess who smiled and waved to her in the crowd.
“She made me feel seen in a sea of thousands,” Nat said. “That moment stuck with me. Now, I get to be that person for someone else.”
Her Scouting background brings a unique perspective to the Princess Program. With every handshake, outreach event, and service project, Nat embodies the Scout Law—especially the parts about being helpful, friendly, and kind. She’s passionate about sharing her story with younger Scouts, especially girls just beginning their journey.
“Scouting introduced me to so much,” she said. “If it weren’t for merit badges like Medicine and Emergency Preparedness, I might not have pursued nursing. If it weren’t for the Swimming merit badge, I wouldn’t have worked at Ransburg. And without the support of my Scouting community, I wouldn’t have had the confidence to apply for the 500 Festival Princess Program.”
With her nursing career on the horizon, continued involvement in Scouting, and a tiara atop her head this May, Nat Restivo is blazing new trails—proving that young women in Scouting can do anything they set their minds to.
