Abilities Expo
FlexiciserPast Title Holders
Shannon Coe, 2008
Shannon Coe, Ms. Wheelchair California 2008 and Ms. Wheelchair America 2009 First Runner Up, lives in Monterey with her husband. Shannon was born in a devastated post-war Vietnam and was afflicted with polio as the 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 also with 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 conference. 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 teens 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.
From 2004-2006, Shannon served in Paraguay as a Peace Corps Volunteer, working with NGO’s and the Paraguayan government on projects to improve basic disability rights for Paraguayans with disabilities. Shannon has also twice 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 is studying for a Masters degree in international affairs at the Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS). Her personal and professional passions have taken her to 44 countries, and with the help of a merit scholarship to attend MIIS, Shannon intends to specialize in human rights for people with disabilities both nationally and internationally.
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 and 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. Moreover, as Ms. Wheelchair California 2008 and Ms. Wheelchair America 2009 First Runner Up, she intends to promote adaptive sports for people with disabilities as one of her activities.
Susan Rotchy, 2007
Susan Rotchy, Ms Wheelchair California 2007 currently resides in Dixon with her husband and two children. She was left paralyzed from an automobile accident 11 years ago. Since her accident Susan has become an activist for people with disabilities beginning with having a voice at the community college she attended and with that voice enforcing the college to become ADA compliance. Realizing, she had an aptitude to bring the disability community and the able body community together from this experience she proceed straight to the capitol while completing her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration at Golden Gate University.
Susan wanted to move her paralyzed body again and realized that there was potential research being done for spinal cord injuries but there was no adequate funding for the scientists. In 2000 she helped pass the Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Act through her membership in Californians for Cures, which also took an active part in the passage of Proposition 71, the Stem Cell Research and Cures Act 2004. Additionally, she is one of the co-founders of Research for Cure, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization which raises money for neurological diseases, which has raised 300,000 dollars for the Reeve Irvine Research Center at UC Irvine. For her continuous work on raising monies for research she has been thanked by the late Christopher Reeves and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Today, Susan sits on the In Home Support Service advisory committee for Solano County and is a board member of Independent Living Resource of Contra Costa County. She is an active member of the Napa Spinal Cord Network Group as well as vice president of Research for Cure. She is currently the Program Manager at Independent Living Resource in Fairfield. In her spare time she plays the flute and piano and her hobbies include quilting and cake decorating. Her platform is bringing awareness to the programs available for people with disabilities to live independent lives.
Pamela Lloyd-Fetterly, 2006
I am Ms. Wheelchair California 2006 as of June 26, 2006, in place for my special friend, Jean Riker of Sacramento. I have been in a wheelchair since January 13, 2003. I just recently found out that I can make a difference just by having resources and knowing where to turn to, if I or someone I know needs help.
I'm a full-time college student at Porterville College, as well as, being a full-time mom to a teenage son, named Charles, who is also my companion. I have been in college in one way or another for over 13 years, whether it be on campus, or through correspondence courses.
I have taken many subjects, from private investigations, bookkeeping, accounting, travel agent, drug and alcohol counseling, child development, and government classes, you name it, I've probably taken it. You can call me a professional student. I was on the student government at Porterville College as the Health Services Senator.
I'm new to the CDR in Sacramento, California. The people there are the best knowledgable people on earth, as far as I'm concerned, when it comes to people's rights. They are the best teachers I've ever had. I would love to be part of their team, so I could help someone like they help me now.
This is my first assignment since becoming Ms Wheelchair California 2006, since Jean had to step down and I want to do her justice. I'm coming in with no experience, no knowledge, other than who to talk to in Sacramento. If I can come this far, I feel I can do anything, even though I'm totally shy.
Kristina Shepard, 2005
Kristina has attended Rallies at the State Capital regarding bills affecting the disabled community, met with Senators and Assembly Members, attended conferences and other meetings regarding disability issues, and made appearances at Shriners Hospital for Children. She has also been in local newspapers and been a guest on a few radio shows. She says her experience was an absolutely wonderful experience. She met so many amazing people and learned so much about the advocacy of disabled people and women in her state and country. She helped elevatate the status of women with disabilities and helped to break down unnecessary barriers that continue to stand in our way today.
Sarah Anderson, 2004
Sarah Anderson was 23 years old when she was crowned. She is a T 9-11 incomplete paraplegic and has a spinal cord injury which occurred in June of 2003. At the time, she was undergoing outpatient physical therapy at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center.
Sarah is a graduate of Cal Poly State University. While studying there, she received her BS in Animal Science with a concentration in Communications.
Desiree A. Milburn, 2003
Desiree A. Milburn was born November 10, 1980 in Fresno, California. She was born with Cerebral Palsy but did not let it get her down. She attended Gingsburg Powers Elementary School in Fresno, California from first grade to eighth grade, It’s a school that teaches speech and physical therapy for individuals like herself who would like to continue life without feeling helpless.
After completion of elementary school she continued on to Roosevelt High School where she completed her general education and graduated from there. She didn’t stop there; she continued on to Fresno Pacific College where she received her B. A. degree in Computer Science in December 2002. She is currently employed with Social Vocational Services in Fresno, California.
Desiree is trying to let people know that for people with disabilities, its not their mind that is stopping them, it is their bodies. Her major goal is to help people with disabilities, alike or even those unalike, and let them know that just because you have a disability doesn’t mean that you should limit yourself. Sure there are a lot of obstacles, but with the blessing of our Lord Jesus Christ, nothing's impossible.
Being part of the Ms. Wheelchair California Pageant was very exciting for me, especially when I won. I learned about the Ms. Wheelchair competition while doing research on the Internet, looking for programs that I could be involved in that would help people understand that even though I’m in a wheelchair, I can do many things and do them well.
I like to advocate for the handicapped people who are nonverbal. That is what inspired me to enter the pageant. The pageant is a good opportunity for handicapped people to be viewed differently. It gives us the chance to demonstrate our outward beauty, and also the beauty inside. Some people tend to view people in wheelchairs all the same, when in actuality we have the same desires and wants as everyone else.
Jennifer MacMonagle, 2002
Jennifer MacMonagle is confined to a wheelchair. Following a party at which her friend's mother allowed the kids to drink as much as they wanted, she climbed into the bed of a pickup and, soon after, the intoxicated driver lost control in an accident that killed two other teenagers in the vehicle and left Jennifer with a broken back.
Now Jennifer tells her peers her story, urging them not to drink or take drugs and drive. She speaks at California's Friday Night Live (FNL) program assemblies and rallies. Although she did not drink, a friend did and her life has been changed forever. A total of 21 California counties have adopted the FNL program. Since its inception in October 1984, the number of driving under the influence deaths and injuries caused by teenagers ages 14 to 18 has dropped significantly.
Ruthee Goldkorn, 2001
A colleague from one of the those organizations sent me an e mail in March of 2001 and she practically dared me to enter the Ms. Wheelchair California Pageant to be held in May in San Diego. The what??!! I had no idea there was such a thing but I was game for anything. I had seen Miss Congeniality! I was inspired by Sandra Bullock and my goal in entering was indeed to be titled Ms. Congeniality.
I entered, raised the Pageant fee from local businesses and wrote the essay "What Are You Passionate About"? with the answer being Civil Rights, equality and equity for the disAbility community. The crowing event came and I was crushed when they did not call my name for Ms. Congeniality. I was not paying any attention at all when I did hear my name and all I said was "what?" They put a crown in my head, a sash on my shoulder and flowers in my lap. Holy Smokes!!! I won the title of Ms. Wheelchair California and I was going to the Ms. Wheelchair America Pageant!!! It took a couple of weeks for the enormity of the responsibility of the title to set in.