Ms. Wheelchair America to Serve as Keynote Speaker
Sisters from the sorority have been working alongside Kelly Rouba, the reigning Ms. Wheelchair New Jersey 2007, to prepare for the event. Ms. Rouba is currently vice president of public relations for both the Central New Jersey Kappa Delta Alumnae Association and the Kappa Delta Chapter Advisory Board at The College of New Jersey. She is also a graduate of the college.
“I was selected by the Ms. Wheelchair America Board of Directors to serve as the state titleholder since New Jersey has not had a pageant over the past few years. I also agreed to reinstate the Ms. Wheelchair New Jersey Pageant, so I am especially excited to have the support of my fellow Kappa Delta sisters in the process,” Rouba said.
The Ms. Wheelchair America Program, Inc. aims to provide an opportunity for women of achievement who use wheelchairs to successfully educate and advocate for all individuals with disabilities. State titleholders are selected based on inner beauty; it is a competition to select the most accomplished and articulate spokesperson for the thousands of state residents with disabilities.
State representatives must be able to communicate both the needs and the accomplishments of her constituency to the general public, the business community, and the legislature. Contestants must be between the ages of 21 and 60 and use a wheelchair for 100 percent of their daily community mobility. They will be judged in three categories: personal interviews, on-stage interviews, and public speaking. The origination of each person’s disability and marital status are not considerations in this event.
During the pageant, Kristen McCosh will talk about her role as the reigning Ms. Wheelchair America. McCosh, of Massachusetts, has over 20 years of experience in disability issues as an advocate, speaker, researcher, writer, and peer mentor. Currently, she is employed as the Editor in Chief of “Solutions” e-Magazine, a publication of Hire Disability Solutions, LLC. She also works with newly disabled individuals and their families at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston as an Early Intervention Program Consultant.
McCosh, along with a representative from Kappa Delta, will help to present the winner of the Ms. Wheelchair New Jersey Pageant with her crown and sash. “The vision of Kappa Delta Sorority is to provide opportunities and experiences that inspire women to greatness. And we feel that the Ms. Wheelchair New Jersey Pageant exemplifies this mission,” said Alexis Diaz, member of the Zeta Theta Chapter of Kappa Delta Sorority.
To request an application or for further information, please contact Kelly at: MsWheelchairNJ@hotmail.com
For more information, please contact the following:
Primary contact: Kelly Rouba, Ms. Wheelchair NJ 2007 and State Pageant Coordinator
Phone: (609) 586-1566
E-mail: KellyRouba@hotmail.com
Secondary contact: Alexis Diaz, representative of Kappa Delta Sorority
Phone: (973) 229-5416
E-mail: diaz7@tcnj.edu
