Ms Wheelchair America 2009 First Runner Up and Ms Wheelchair California 2008: July 2008

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Ms. Wheelchair America Platform Speech

My Speech (1st Runner Up)

Michelle Colvard's Speech (Congrats to our new title-holder!)

Award Ceremony

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Ms Wheelchair America Pageant 2009

From July 21st - 27th, I will be in Rockville, Maryland for the Ms Wheelchair America Pageant 2009. I feel both excited and nervous that I will be going to nationals to represent California. I also look forward to meeting the other Ms Wheelchair state titleholders at the event. Thank you everyone for all your encouragements! By the way, you can also support me by voting for the People's Choice Award on the Ms Wheelchair America website below: http://www.mswheelchairamerica.org/contestants/california2008/

More exciting news--New Mobility magazine published an article I wrote about my Peace Corps experience in Paraguay on the July 2008 issue. Please click on the link below: http://newmobility.com/articleViewIE.cfm?id=11207

Media:

This morning KDRT interviewed me for, "How She Really Does It." I'll post the link when the podcast is available so check back soon.

Also see me on the news - See youtube clip here:

Saturday, July 12, 2008

July 15st-16th, Association on Higher Education And Disability 2009 Conference

At the 31st AHEAD Annual Conference in Reno, Nevada, Olivia Emilia (Mobility International, USA), Jim Kessler (Director of Disability Services at UNC Chapel Hill and Past-President of AHEAD), and I gave a presentation on "Tools and Strategies to Adapt to Change in Support During Overseas Study." During the conference, I met Fran Edelen who is the Diversity Outreach Program Manager for the Central Intelligence Agency.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

March 29th, 2nd Annual Community Wheelchair Basketball Challenge

Sonoma County Blazers Vs. Napa Police Department and City of Napa Fire Department

Susan Rotchy, Ms Wheelchair California 2007, and I made an appearance at the wheelchair basketball tournament in Napa. We watched the athletes played a tough game. But in the end, the Sonoma County Blazers triumphed. For those who are interested in wheelchair basketball, the Blazers are always recruiting for their team. Please contact Jason Foell at jason@kochconstruction.net. After the game, I drew out the winning ticket number for the raffle prize. All the proceeds benefited the Napa Spinal Cord Injury Network.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Morgan Hill July 4th Parade

Morgan Hill had its annual 4th of July parade to celebrate our country's independence. The day was full of cheers and festivities as 44,000 people watched floats, bands, and other performances go by in downtown. The crowd and I were buzzing with energy as we greeted each other with "Happy 4th of July!"

July 2nd, City of Davis ADA Standing Subcommittee

Subcomittee Members: George Moore (Chairperson), Lena Contreras, Shula Shoup, Cecilia Von Beroldington

Staff: Elvia Garcia-Ayala, Teri Spiritosanto, Cameron Gibbs

The City of Davis ADA Standing Subcommittee meets every odd month to address issues of accessibility in Davis. It was an honor to be invited by Council Member Lamar Heystek and Chairperson George Moore to be part of the Subcommitte. However, since I will be moving to Monterey to start my graduate program in August, I will not be able to join this great group of advocates. They have many exciting projects coming up, please join them in their efforts to make Davis a disability-friendly environment.

Bio

Shannon Coe, Ms Wheelchair California 2008 and First Runner Up for Ms Wheelchair America 2009, lives in Davis, California. Shannon was born in a devastated post-war Vietnam and had polio at the age of 18 months as a result of a broken immunization infrastructure. Fleeing the political aftermath of the war, Shannon’s parents lovingly carried her as a four-year-old child on the dangerous journey from refugee camp to refugee camp until they were sponsored by a church to immigrate to the United States.

In the U.S. Shannon received her first wheelchair and grew up to appreciate international affairs and advocacy for disability rights. In 2000, she received a BA from U.C. Berkeley in Mass Communications. Shannon also studied abroad in England where she was successful in having a Member of Parliament spend a day following her around campus in a wheelchair to understand the barriers that confronted students with disabilities. Shannon continued to advocate for disability rights issues in the U.S. where she interned with the ADA section of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington D.C. and the City of Berkeley.

After graduation, Shannon was selected to attend the Beijing +5 UN Declaration and Platform for Action conference to evaluate the progress of women with disabilities under the UN Convention and the National Youth Leadership Network (NYLN). She contributed as a writer to the NYLN Quarterly Newsletter which addressed issues concerning youth with disabilities and the New Mobility magazine. Shannon later worked as an Acting Program Coordinator for the Fulfillment Fund Teen Access Program, a non-profit organization that provides mentors and educational resources for students with disabilities. She has also been a mentor for young women with disabilities for the Youth Empowerment Project, and a trainer for Mobility International USA. In 2009, Shannon worked as a consultant with Handicap International in Takoma Park, Maryland.

From 2004-2006, Shannon served in Paraguay as a Peace Corps Volunteer, working with non-profit and non-governmental organizations and the Paraguayan government on projects to improve basic disability rights for Paraguayans with disabilities. Shannon has also raised sufficient funds to travel to developing nations with Joni and Friends (a nonprofit organization) to distribute hundreds of wheelchairs at a time to some of the world’s poorest people with disabilities.

Shannon graduated in May 2010 with a Master degree in Public Administration at the Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS) where she has been awarded several merit scholarships. Shannon focuses on civil rights for people with disabilities both nationally and internationally. Her personal and professional passions have taken her to 45 countries and led her to volunteer with many disability-focused organizations.

In addition to traveling, Shannon enjoys the great outdoors. She has been involved in outdoor adventures with organizations such as Environmental Traveling Companion, Bay Area Outreach & Recreation Program, No Barriers USA, and Casa Colina. She has participated in adaptive sporting activities such as kayaking, handcycling, mountain biking, rope climbing, water skiing, jet skiing, snorkeling, and white water rafting. Shannon has also volunteered for Special Olympics and Casa Colina in sport events and summer camps for children with disabilities.

Ms Wheelchair America 2009 First Runner Up and Ms Wheelchair California 2008