Tomorrow I head back to Stow, Ohio for the crowning of the next Ms. Wheelchair USA. I can’t believe how quickly the past year has gone by! It’s still surreal to think that a year before my crowning, I could never have imagined that I would take part in a pageant. It’s been such a fun, exciting year. I’ve gotten to do some really cool things that I definitely would have gotten to without my crown.

For example – getting to go on the field at a Pirates game and meeting Leslie Odom, Jr. are definite highlights that stand out!

But of course, my year was more than just pageant-waving and smiling for pictures with my crown on. Being invited to be on AT&T’s Advisory Panel on Access and Aging and getting the chance to speak at the SciAccess conference were both incredible opportunities to talk about the importance of advocacy and accessibility. I’ve also been working behind-the-scenes all year, making connections and building a community, all leading up to my upcoming Ramping the Divide Summit. Even though it’s technically a week after the end of my reign, it still seems like the perfect culmination of everything that I’ve been working on.

I want to think you all for your support this past year! You’ve all been so wonderful and enthusiastic and excited for me and I appreciate it so much.