INDIANAPOLIS – Today, Governor Mike Braun recognized five outstanding Hoosier women with 2025 Torchbearer Awards during a ceremony held in the Governor’s Office at the Indiana Statehouse.
Governor Braun personally presented this year’s honors, commending each recipient for their achievements across diverse fields, industries, and causes.
“The Torchbearer Awards recognize Hoosier women for their exceptional achievements in their community, our state, and our nation. These Hoosier women are outstanding leaders in their fields. Today I was proud to recognize each of them for their trailblazing accomplishments and the examples they’ve set for future generations.” — Governor Mike Braun
This year, four women were named Torchbearers and one woman was honored with a lifetime achievement award.
Lifetime Achievement Award:
Betsy Wiley was honored with the lifetime achievement award for her extensive public service to Indiana’s students in many areas, including school choice. Betsy Wiley’s steadfast support for parents’ rights to lead their own children’s education, and advocacy to improve schools and outcomes for all Hoosier children, have been assets for Indiana’s success in education.
Torchbearers:
Monica Kelsey was named a Torchbearer for her advocacy to save babies’ lives through Safe Haven Baby Boxes. Her work has made Indiana the national leader in preventing child abandonment. Indiana’s Safe Haven law celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.
Grace Estabrook stood up for fairness in women’s sports while a member of the swimming and diving team for Penn State. Grace Estabrook blew the whistle on issues of competitive fairness, safety for female athletes, privacy in changing areas, and coercion from officials to keep concerns about biologically male athletes competing against female athletes quiet. Grace’s voice on this issue was an important part of the national conversation and yielded significant policy changes to support fairness.
Kristian Stricklen became President of the Madame Walker Legacy Center in 2021. She was honored for her visionary leadership of the Walker Center, leading the organization into a new era of financial sustainability and cultural impact. The Madame Walker Legacy Center honors the legacy of Madame CJ Walker, who built a cosmetics and hair care empire in Indianapolis at the turn of the 20th century. Her legacy of self-made success has been an inspiration to women business leaders for a century.
Erin Houchin serves Hoosiers in Congress as the representative for Indiana’s 9th district. She was honored for her leadership for Hoosiers on the national stage. Representative Houchin was elected to House Republican leadership in 2024, serving as the House Republican Conference Secretary for the 119th Congress, making her the second-highest-ranking woman in the Republican House majority.
Governor Braun presented the awards on behalf of the Indiana Commission for Women (ICW). The ICW initiated the Torchbearer Awards in 2004 to celebrate extraordinary contributions made by Hoosier women.
