Petal woman headed to national Miss Amazing Pageant

Petal woman headed to national pageant

Aug. 26, 2013   |  

Kimberly Barnes, left, places a crown on her daughter, Racheal Barnes, Mississippi's first Miss Amazing. The Miss Amazing pageant gives girls and women with disabilities a chance to shine and celebrate their abilities while giving back to their communities. / Ryan Moore/Hattiesburg American

Written by

Emily Ham Price

Hattiesburg American Staff Writer

Mississippi’s Miss Amazing 2013

At a glance

Racheal Barnes
• Age: 25 
• Family: parents, Kimberly and Daniel Barnes, mother and father; brother, Daniel Barnes II 
• Hobbies: Zumba, kickboxing classes, talking on the phone, shopping and listening to music on her iPod. 
National Miss Amazing Pageant
• Location: Omaha, Neb. 
• Date: Wednesday-Saturday

PETAL — If you were to ask Racheal Barnes’ friends and family, everything about the 25-year-old Petal resident is amazing — even her recently acquired title as Mississippi’s first Miss Amazing.

Founded in 2007 in Nebraska, the Miss Amazing Pageant aims to give young women with special needs an opportunity to shine and celebrate their talents and abilities. The focus is put on their abilities instead of their disabilities.

Because of a translocation of material in Racheal’s chromosomes, she is developmentally delayed.

With just two weeks’ notice about the pageant, Racheal competed in Mississippi’s first Miss Amazing Pageant on April 27 at the Petal Civic Center.

It was there that Racheal’s smile, sense of humor, exuberance and ability to connect with those around her stood out to judges.

Standing on stage with her arms full of flowers and a crown atop her head, Racheal said she didn’t realize at first that she’d won the top title in the 24- to 27-year-old category.

“It was crazy,” she said. “I was shocked. I love the crown, and I like holding it.”

Racheal’s mother, Kimberly Barnes, said while nothing has ever stopped Racheal from being the social, giving, loving person she is, she never expected her daughter to be involved in the pageant world — until the Miss Amazing pageant was brought to Mississippi.

“It’s something we never thought about doing,” Kimberly said. “But when the opportunity presented itself, we were very thankful for it. ... Just the look on her face (when she realized she’d won) — it was priceless.”

Racheal and her family will be in Omaha, Neb., for the beginning of the National Miss Amazing Pageant starting Wednesday. Racheal will spend four days participating in pageant activities with Miss Amazing queens from across the United States.

Each state representative from each age category will be involved in competitions and service opportunities that will lead up to the crowning of the National Miss Amazing queens.

Since walking away with a crown and the title as Mississippi’s first Miss Amazing, Racheal has become a high-profile advocate for people with special needs and plans to put her title to good use.

“After the pageant at the end of August, we want to do lots of things like food drives and help the community and also to get the word out about the Miss Amazing Pageant,” Kimberly said.

However, even before earning her title, friends and family said Racheal has left lasting impressions on people she has encountered every day through her volunteer work and activities.

Outside the pageant world, Kimberly said Racheal is a mover and shaker and makes friends wherever she goes.

Currently, Racheal is involved with the Hattiesburg Jaycees, is a cheerleader at Oak Grove’s ACE Cheer Company’s special needs camp — the only one in Mississippi — and is a volunteer at the front desk at the Family Y in Petal. She also helps teach the kindergarten Sunday school class at Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

“She loves to help and feel needed, and who doesn’t? ... If you could interview everyone at the YMCA, they’ll tell you that if they’re having a bad day, when they get there she tells them good morning, and she just brings something out in you that just turns your day around,” Kimberly said. “Definitely in the saddest of times, she puts a smile on your face.”

This year marked the second year Racheal participated in national service as a member of the TRIAD Service AmeriCorps Program — a component of the Institute of Disability Studies at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Jerry Alliston, USM’s Institute for Disability Studies’ coordinator for community inclusion and volunteer service, said Racheal’s Miss Amazing title describes her perfectly.

“Racheal really is an amazing young lady,” he said. “Since she has been serving (on the TRIAD Service AmeriCorps Program), she has blossomed in her professional behavior, became a star of disability skits and told her story to thousands statewide.”

According to Alliston, Racheal’s new title as Miss Amazing will only further the accomplishments she’s already made.

“I truly believe that Racheal has touched the lives of hundreds of youth with disabilities, parents and others. Her passion for life and helping others is seen and heard when she does presentations,” Alliston said. “She lets others know through her words and through her actions that young people with disabilities can and do accomplish their dreams. As she has told me, everyone can be amazing.”

Working with Alliston, Racheal has played a role in helping people with any form of disability transition between school and college or school and work.

While she works hard to help others continue believing in their dreams, the 2009 Petal High School graduate said she has a few dreams of her own.

“I want to go to college,” she said. “And then go to work. I want to work on computers.”

When talking to other people with disabilities, Racheal said she has one message that she shares with everyone.

“I tell them that they can do it,” she said.

Kimberly said she and the rest of her family are so proud of their “Queen Racheal.”

“Nothing can stop Racheal. I’ve always believed that for her. When she was born, she arrived one month early and weighed 3 pounds, 11 ounces. Nothing has stopped her since,” Kimberly said. “She has just conquered all. I always tell everybody that she is one step closer to God than the rest of us. She doesn’t hate, she doesn’t judge. She just loves everybody. She’s honestly taught me what life is all about.”

 

AUCD Announces New Executive Director

Andrew J. Imparato to Begin September 30, 2013

August 22, 2013

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News Release (564KB)[download]

The Board of Directors of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) is pleased to announce the selection of Andrew J. Imparato as the next Executive Director of the Association. Mr. Imparato succeeds George Jesien who will be retiring after successfully leading the organization for the past fourteen years.

Dr. Julie Fodor from the University of Idaho, Board President and Chair of the Search Committee, said, "Andy is an impressive leader with energy and vision. He comes to us with more than two decades of experience in disability policy and advocacy. He is a proponent of diversity at all levels and clearly understands the challenges and opportunities that lay before our network and the nation. Andy's enthusiasm, knowledge, and abilities show promise to both support and enhance the work of the association and the network as we move forward."

Mr. Imparato's perspective and passion is informed not only through his professional career but also through his own experience with bipolar disorder. Imparato comes to AUCD from the position of Senior Counsel and Disability Policy Director for the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, chaired by Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa. In the last two and a half years, Imparato has been the lead staffer for Chairman Harkin's effort to reauthorize the Rehabilitation Act as part of the Workforce Investment Act; to expand the number of people with disabilities working in integrated, competitive employment; to improve accessibility of taxicabs, movie theaters, airplanes, and electronic and information technology; and to improve transition outcomes for the generation of young people with disabilities who have come of age since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Previous positions include President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the largest cross-disability membership organization in the U.S. Prior to joining AAPD, Imparato was General Counsel and Director of Policy for the National Council on Disability, an attorney advisor with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, counsel to the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Disability Policy, and a staff attorney with the Disability Law Center in Boston, Massachusetts.

Imparato has been widely recognized for his leadership and advocacy. In 2005, he was named one of "Ten Outstanding Young Americans" by the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees). His work has been recognized by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Transportation, the National Council on Independent Living, the National Association of the Deaf, and the Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation. In 2012, AUCD awarded him the Gold Star Award, presented to a Capitol Hill staffer who exemplifies a true partnership in crafting strong public policy in collaboration with AUCD and the greater disability community.

Imparato graduated with distinction from Stanford Law School and is a summa cum laude graduate of Yale College. He and his wife Betsy Nix live in Baltimore and have two sons, ages 19 and 14. He begins his new position on September 30th.

 

 

The Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD), located in Silver Spring, MD, promotes and supports a national network of interdisciplinary centers on disabilities. The members of AUCD represent every U.S. state and territory. AUCD and its members work to advance policy and practice through research, education, leadership, and services for and with individuals with developmental and other disabilities, their families, and communities.

 

Community Forum Brandon Aug20

The Mississippi Developmental Disabilities partners—IDS, the Mississippi  Council on Developmental Disabilities and Disability Rights Mississippi—are hosting three community forums for the public. The first forum was held yesterday in Brandon. Two more are coming; one in Gulfport August 22 and the other in Oxford on Aug 28.  Please see the flyer for more information.

 

TRIAD Service AmeriCorps Member Captures Miss Amazing Title During Mississippi Pageant (MS UCEDD)

August 1, 2013

One definition of the word amazing is "surprisingly great." That is a perfect way to describe Racheal Barnes . . . surprisingly great.

On May 27, Rachel Barnes walked away with a title befitting that description when she was named Miss Amazing for the State of Mississippi at the Petal Community Center. She won the Miss category that recognizes young adults ages 24 - 27.

Winning the distinction of Miss Amazing is not what makes this young woman so amazing. Her abilities far exceed any one category. One of those qualities is her willingness to serve others. She is participating in her second year on national service as a member of the TRIAD Service AmeriCorps Program which is component of the Institute of Disability Studies at The University of Southern Mississippi.

Training, Resources and Information for the Advancement of Disability (TRIAD) Service AmeriCorps is an inclusive service program through the Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service. TRIAD Service AmeriCorps focuses on assisting students with disabilities in the transition to adulthood.

This transition includes national service, employment, postsecondary education, adult healthcare services and more. Barnes is one of the stars of several disability education skits and has shared her personal story to hundreds of youth with disabilities. Most recently, she was the introductory speaker when the TRIAD Service AmeriCorps members were the featured speakers at the 2013 disAbility MegaConference in June.

Barnes, who lives in Petal, Miss., demonstrates her compassion for others with a willingness to volunteer. She currently volunteers three times a week at the Petal YMCA. She assists the front desk staff with lots of activities, most notably serving as a hostess to those using YMCA services.

Her giving nature was noted by the YMCA staff who wanted to give back to her. On June 21, a "Fit for a Queen" event was held to raise funds for the National Miss Amazing Pageant August 28-31 in Omaha, Neb. Barnes signed autographs, hosted a silent auction and was the featured guest of a two-hour sweatfest.

Barnes plans to represent Mississippi well at the national pageant and hopes to impact her home state. And she has a special message to share with others: anyone can accomplish anything. "I want others to know they can reach their dreams too. They can be amazing."

The Miss Amazing Pageant is a program that gives girls and young women with disabilities the opportunity to build self-confidence in a supportive environment. The first Miss Amazing Pageant was held in Nebraska in 2007.

The pageant, coordinated by Jordan Solmer, was established to share the pageant experience with girls who have disabilities and to give back to the community, primarily through food drives. Since that time, the pageant has expanded to more than 20 states including Mississippi.

At this time, Barnes is scheduling local and state events to promote the Miss Amazing Pageant and her message. Anyone wishing to have Miss Amazing appear at a local event, should contact her at kbarnes061@gmail.com.

 

Technology Learning Center Hosts Sports Clinic for People with Disabilities

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Article | Wed, 07/31/2013 - 11:01am | By Charmaine Williams Schmermund

The University of Southern Mississippi Technology Learning Center’s 2013 Gulf Coast Tennis and Softball Clinic. (Southern Miss Technology Learning Center photo)

People of all ages took part in The University of Southern Mississippi Technology Learning Center’s (TLC) 2013 Gulf Coast Tennis and Softball Clinic this summer on the university’s Gulf Park campus in Long Beach. The free sports clinic catered to 45 participants with various physical disabilities.

See the whole article.