Miss Exceptional Program in the News!
She started a pageant for girls with disabilities. Now this former Puyallup student is watching it grow.
BY ALLISON NEEDLES
MAY 04, 2018
"We've grown so big we have to have a new venue," says Miss Exceptional founder Samantha Schubert started Miss Exceptional, a pageant for girls with disabilities, three years ago. She wants it to spread to other states.
Little by little, more and more people are taking notice of a local pageant.Miss Exceptional, created by Rogers High School graduate Sami Schubert in 2015 with the Exceptional Families Network, recognizes girls with disabilities by giving them a platform to be themselves and develop their self-confidence.And every year, it grows."I kind of see it like a vine,” Schubert said. “It’s kind of just spreading slowly. So we’re just hoping it spreads to other states so we can make it a bigger thing.”
Read the full article here:
www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/community/puyallup-herald/article210155364.html
MAY 04, 2018
"We've grown so big we have to have a new venue," says Miss Exceptional founder Samantha Schubert started Miss Exceptional, a pageant for girls with disabilities, three years ago. She wants it to spread to other states.
Little by little, more and more people are taking notice of a local pageant.Miss Exceptional, created by Rogers High School graduate Sami Schubert in 2015 with the Exceptional Families Network, recognizes girls with disabilities by giving them a platform to be themselves and develop their self-confidence.And every year, it grows."I kind of see it like a vine,” Schubert said. “It’s kind of just spreading slowly. So we’re just hoping it spreads to other states so we can make it a bigger thing.”
Read the full article here:
www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/community/puyallup-herald/article210155364.html
"Conversations with DeAnna Lee"
Puyallup Teen Starts Pageant for Girls with Disabilities.
There wasn’t a pageant for girls with disabilities. So one Puyallup teen started one of her own
The News Tribune, October 3, 2017
By: Allison Needles
>>Click to read article from The News Tribune
The News Tribune, October 3, 2017
By: Allison Needles
>>Click to read article from The News Tribune
When 18-year-old Samantha Schubert was 6 years old, her family’s world changed.
Her little brother Cole, then 3 years old, was diagnosed with autism and a neuromuscular disorder called Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, which damages nerves in the arms and legs.
Three years later, he started using a power wheelchair. Around the same time, Samantha, who was 9 and living with her family in Puyallup, started participating in natural pageants — pageants that focus on natural beauty.
“I had a really hard time with confidence when I was younger,” said Schubert, adding that she was a very shy child. “Pageants definitely helped me.” But throughout the years, as she watched her brother grow, Samantha — Sami to her friends and family — found something was missing in the world of pageants.
Samantha Schubert, Miss Exceptional founder, “I realized there were no pageants for people with disabilities,” she said.
So she created one.
Inspired by her brother and local girls who faced similar struggles, Schubert founded the Miss Exceptional Pageant in 2015, when she was a student at Rogers High School.
A nonprofit, the “personality” pageant’s goal is to offer girls ages 5 to 20 who have a mental or physical disability diagnosis opportunities to improve their self confidence and their social and communication skills. The pageant is part of the Exceptional Families Network (EFN), a local group that helps families to “navigate the complicated world of special needs.” The Schubert family has been involved with the group for years.
Beth, Samantha’s mother, is a registered nurse at Good Samaritan Hospital and vice president of EFN’s board of directors.
“One of the things (Sami) likes to focus on is building confidence,” Beth said. “(Miss Exceptional) gives them a lot of opportunities to stand out from the crowd and to say, ‘Look at me!’”
And that’s exactly what happens, Samantha said.
The pageant has grown since its first year, when 15-year-old Sofia Martinez, who was diagnosed with Batten’s Disease, was crowned the single winner.
In 2016, participants in the pageant grew from ten to 20, so Samantha created separate age groups. Last year’s pageant crowned three winners: 13-year-old Miss Exceptional Teen Brielle Davis, 11-year-old Miss Exceptional Junior Jessalyn Mackey, and 9-year-old Miss Exceptional Little Kennedy Evangelista. All three girls have neurodevelopmental disorders.
Mackey said it felt amazing when she found out she’d won. She liked being able to write a speech to introduce herself — her own speech was three pages long.
“It makes me want to stand out loud and inspire others,” she said.
All three girls said they loved to be on stage to show their personalities. Evangelista said that at first she was nervous and her hands would shake, but she felt better knowing the other girls were there to back her up.
“My favorite part was hanging out (with the other girls),” she said.
“To feel comfortable with your settings is most important,” Samantha said, and as the emcee for the event, works to ensure that each girl is having a good time.
Some parts of Miss Exceptional are different than other pageants. It’s a shorter pageant, and if a contestant is nonverbal, Samantha will introduce them instead. Each girl is also given a buddy — contestants from other pageants — to help them throughout the event.
This year, Beth and Samantha hope that the number of participants will double. They also added a Miss Exceptional Petite for ages 5 to 7 and Miss Exceptional Woman for 18-plus. There’s also a Supreme title for the contestant who raises the most donations.
Samantha, who has raised $17,000 for local charities and has 4,000 community service hours under her belt, is still working to serve her local community. She currently holds the title of Miss Puyallup Teen USA, and is competing for Miss Washington Teen USA next month. She teaches music at her family’s preschool on South Hill and volunteers for Magic in the Pacific Northwest, even as she attends college online at Eastern Washington University.
She wants to become a child life specialist.
“She first encountered them with her brother and she thought it was the coolest job ever,” Beth said.
“It kind of fits into everything I want to do, which is working with kids, volunteering and the medical field — without having to poke anyone,” Samantha said.
This year’s Miss Exceptional will be begin at noon Dec. 3 during the Victorian Country Christmas on at the Washington State Fairgrounds. Registration is available online at missexceptional.org.
KOMO News
Eric’s Heroes: Puyallup Teen Gives Others a Chance to Shine
By: Eric Johnson
January 3, 2018
http://bit.ly/2lSHc6L
The News Tribune
Puyallup Pageant for girls with disabilities crowns new winners
By: Allison Needles
December 27, 2017
http://bit.ly/2H8u8nP
Burglary on 8/27/16 - EFN loses equipment, supplies and more
Update on 10/19/16 - It's been almost 2 months since the burglary, and we are honored to have received some wonderful support from our community! Thank you to everyone who took the time to call us, shared your positive thoughts with us on social media, sent us a card or a check, or who stopped by our office to drop off a donated office supply or a hug. Your smiles have meant the world to us. We have learned that the burglars have attempted to steal our nonprofit's good name as well as the identity of our Executive Director. We are working with the various banks, regulatory agencies, and law enforcement to combat the latest chapter in this criminal saga. In the meantime, we have just learned that a few of our items have been recovered, so we are waiting for them to be processed so we can go pick them up and see if they are still usable. It was wonderful news! We have yet to complete our insurance claim due to the latest information about fraud, so we continue to wait to fully recoup our losses. Thank you again to everyone during this time. We appreciate all of your support! #WeAreExceptionalTogether
Burglary on 8/28/16 - A HUGE thank you goes out to everyone in the community that saw the update we posted on our Facebook page yesterday and then shared the information with their friends and the media. We were able to talk with people at KIRO, KCPQ, KOMO, and KING, as well as The News Tribune. The burglars took a lot from us, but who they hurt the most is the local special needs community and the hundreds of families we serve. Our ability to effectively and efficiently reach those families through our support, education and advocacy efforts is now hindered due to this criminal act. Everything stolen from us was either something donated to the nonprofit, a personal belonging of our volunteers, or was acquired via grant funding. It's sickening to think about. Some of the things they took or destroyed felt very personal, and we will never understand the motivation for such a senseless act against the special needs community. We are a grassroots nonprofit, comprised almost entirely of dedicated volunteers. We do this work because of how special needs have impacted our lives. This was an attack against families who are struggling day to day to do the best for their children with special needs. Please help us find out who did this, and call Lakewood PD if you have any information.
Thank you all for your support!
The News Tribune
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/crime/article98375722.html
KIRO
http://www.kiro7.com/video?videoId=430875377&videoVersion=1.0
http://www.kiro7.com/news/local/lakewood-non-profit-organization-burglarized/430765939
KCPQ
http://q13fox.com/2016/08/27/special-needs-nonprofit-robbed-saturday-thieves-taking-everything/
KING
http://www.king5.com/news/crime/police-investigate-burglary-at-lakewood-non-profit/309794072
Thank you all for your support!
The News Tribune
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/crime/article98375722.html
KIRO
http://www.kiro7.com/video?videoId=430875377&videoVersion=1.0
http://www.kiro7.com/news/local/lakewood-non-profit-organization-burglarized/430765939
KCPQ
http://q13fox.com/2016/08/27/special-needs-nonprofit-robbed-saturday-thieves-taking-everything/
KING
http://www.king5.com/news/crime/police-investigate-burglary-at-lakewood-non-profit/309794072
EFN In the News, Press Releases & Mentions
MYNorthwest.com
http://mynorthwest.com/990/2752336/Angela-Fish
Northwest Military
www.northwestmilitary.com/military-life/military-life/2016/05/exceptional-families-bond-in-advocacy/
Lakewood's Promise
http://lakewoodspromise.us/event/46417/2015-11-06
http://lakewoodspromise.us/archives/40242
http://lakewoodspromise.us/partner-news-2
Lakewood Chamber of Commerce
http://www.lakewood-wa.com/node/2128
The Suburban Times
http://thesubtimes.com/2015/11/04/merry-bazaar-festive-sale-to-benefit-local-special-needs-nonprofit/
KBTC
http://video.kbtc.org/video/2365557500/
RoundTown
https://roundtown.com/event/14181454/Merry-Bazaar-Festive-Sale-Lakewood-WA
ParentMap
https://www.parentmap.com/article/8-special-outings-for-kids-and-families-with-special-needs
http://www.parentmap.com/article/8-special-outings-for-kids-and-families-with-special-needs
http://www.parentmap.com/calendar/29943
You Tube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuSOhLDdrOBsnR0z0MniDGg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_wlMZ0aws4&feature=youtu.be
The News Tribune
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2013/04/15/2557530/at-the-childrens-museum-its-all.html
KZOK 102.5FM
http://events.kzok.cbslocal.com/tacoma/events/exceptional-bowl-bid-/E0-001-065889225-4
DVIDS Hub
http://www.dvidshub.net/news/104710/autism-walk-brings-out-supportive-families
TopNews
http://topnews.us/content/254387-autism-awareness-walk-organized-us
Children's Museum of Tacoma
http://www.playtacoma.org/programs
Seattle's Child
http://www.seattleschild.com/article/unsung-hero-angela-fish
Tacoma.com
http://www.tacoma.com/exceptional-families-workshops-at-the-children%E2%80%99s-museum/
Feed >> Tacoma
http://www.feedtacoma.com/events/event.php?e=6779
Tacoma Weekly
http://www.tacomaweekly.com/news/view/childrens-museum-of-tacoma-hosts-evening-for-children-with-special-needs/
Seattle's Child
http://www.seattleschild.com/article/childrens-museum-of-tacoma-program-for-children-with-special-needs
HeyEvent
http://heyevent.com/venue/zoqrdygzpzlaka
Max & Me Studio
http://maxnmestudio.com/exceptional-families-network/
http://maxnmestudio.com/extreme-gratitude/
GoodReads
http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/4034764-exceptional-families-network
Integra Natural Wellness
http://integranaturalwellness.com/autism-day-2013-a-beautiful-day-and-an-amazing-event/
JBLM-Lakewood Patch
http://lakewood-jblm.patch.com/events/exceptional-families-workshop
Puyallup Patch
http://puyallup.patch.com/events/exceptional-families-workshop-7b0d7eab
University Place Patch
http://universityplace.patch.com/groups/events/p/ev--exceptional-families-workshop-8527c403
The Olympian
http://calendar.theolympian.com/search?new=n&sort=0&srad=60.0&srss=10&ssi=20&st=event&swhat=children%27s+play+events&swhen=&swhere=Fife%2C+WA
King5 Best of Western Washington
http://best.king5.com/exceptional-families-network/biz/634438
Tacoma Mama
http://tacomamama.com/content/exceptional-families-workshops-0
Seattle PI
http://events.seattlepi.com/tacoma_wa/events/show/298569745-exceptional-families-workshops
The Press-Enterprise
http://events.pe.com/tacoma_wa/events/show/298569765-exceptional-families-workshops
King5
http://events.king5.com/Exceptional_Families_Network/200378516.html
KOMO News
http://events.komonews.com/Exceptional_Bowl_Bid/296914825.html
Northwest Military
http://www.northwestmilitary.com/calendar/166783/
Showcase Magazine
http://www.showcasemedialive.com/wordpress/ai1ec_event/exceptional-families-parent-workshops-at-the-childrens-museum/?instance_id=
Elizabeth Bert Center for Autism Law & Advocacy
http://www.ebcala.org/areas-of-law/changes-in-dsm-5-could-negatively-impact-millions
Rethinking Autism: Variation & Complexity
https://books.google.com/books?id=IaFY8r0rpn8C&pg=PA364&lpg=PA364&dq=exceptional+families+network&source=bl&ots=ccBcKY3CMC&sig=wtif8EJ9ZS2HLeIN2TH8iWXCXtw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CEIQ6AEwBzgoahUKEwiB7ZyhyY_JAhWDoogKHa-8Dmc#v=onepage&q=exceptional%20families%20network&f=false
General Federation of Women's Clubs - Valley Volunteers, Puyallup/Sumner
http://www.orgsites.com/wa/gfwcvalleyvolunteers/GFWCVVFeb2013.pdf
Autism Society of Washington
http://www.autismsocietyofwa.org/tacoma/
Washington Autism Advocacy & Alliance
http://www.washingtonautismadvocacy.org/updates/provider-resource-directory/wpbdm-category/support-groups-family-self-advocate-online-etc/page/5/
CBS Seattle
http://seattle.cbslocal.com/top-lists/best-help-for-special-needs-families-around-seattle/
The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation
http://www.gtcf.org/directory/directory/?p=4&id=335
Columbia Bank
https://www.columbiabank.com/about-us/community
Total Tutor & Total Education Network - Blog Talk Radio
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/totaltutor/2013/02/04/sara-gershfeld-angela-fish-jen-from-kidzmet
-Angela Fish's interview begins at 14:45
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/totaltutor/2011/05/11/tes-will-interview-angela-fish-caffeinated-autism-mom
Move Beyond Limits
http://www.movebeyondlimits.com/EFN/
FEAT Washington
http://www.featwa.org/?page_id=50
https://sites.google.com/site/featwaresourceguide/support-groups#TOC-Tacoma-WA1http://www.featwa.org/news/page/2/
Pierce County Coalition for Developmental Disabilities
http://www.pc2online.org/Page.aspx?nid=56
Joint Base Lewis-McChord Exceptional Families Member Program
http://www.jblmmwr.com/pdf/acs/efmp/Jan_efmp_news.pdf
South Sound Autism Partnership
http://www.southsoundautism.org/
First 5 Fundamentals
http://www.first5fundamentals.org/about-us/program-partners
TOGETHER! Thurston County
http://www.thurstontogether.org/whatWeDo/education-prevention/resource-library/EnglishPRG2012-14.pdf
South Sound Aspie Moms
http://southsoundaspiemoms.blogspot.com/2011/06/apologies-and-june-meeting.html?m=1
AutismLink
http://autismlink.com/dir/exceptional-families-network/
Eventful
http://seattle.eventful.com/events/exceptional-bowl-bid-/E0-001-066274960-3
http://eventful.com/tacoma/events/autism-spectrum-disorders-diagnosis-and-beyond-/E0-001-019069856-5
Informed Parents = Successful Kids
http://informedparentssuccessfulkids.blogspot.com/2010_10_01_archive.html?m=1
Newswire & PR Today
http://www.newswiretoday.com/news/54697/The-Wyatt-Holliday-Foundation-Introduces-its-Inaugural-Community-Walk-in-Tacoma/
NonProfit Facts
http://www.nonprofitfacts.com/WA/Wyatt-Holliday-Foundation.html#b
The Balanced Mind Foundation
http://www.thebalancedmind.org/connect/find/results/exceptional-families-network
Parent Help 123
https://resources.parenthelp123.org/resource/exceptional-families-network
Global Student Network
https://www.globalstudentnetwork.com/viewgroup.php?id=3890
Wrightslaw Washington Yellow Pages
http://www.yellowpagesforkids.com/help/wa.htm
University of Washington Autism Center
http://depts.washington.edu/uwautism/clinical-services/conference-ssap.php
Mommies of Miracles
http://mommiesofmiracles.com/tools/resources/
Tacoma Arts
http://tacomaarts.wordpress.com/2012/12/
Homeschool Facts
http://www.homeschoolfacts.com/groups/group_pages.php/Support_Groups/Exceptional_Families_Network
Hartley's Life with 3 Boys
http://hartleysboys.blogspot.com/2012/04/come-see-me-awareness-event-in-tacoma.html
Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/article/wyatt-holliday-foundation-inagural-exceptional-families-3k-walk-roll