This past weekend, the Missouri Miss Amazing Amplifying Summit 2025 was held in St. Louis, and the Special Education Foundation had several connections to this event designed to build self-esteem for girls and women with disabilities.

This year’s event at Ladue Horton Watkins High School featured 64 participants and 125 volunteers, with more than 400 attendees cheering on the women and girls.

SEF’s connection begins at the top, so to speak, with the Missouri chapter’s Executive Director, Jennifer Royer, an alumnus of SEF’s Fred Saigh Leadership Academy. Jennifer has said that the leadership skills she gained while participating in the FSLA in high school several years ago were a great help to her as she took on the ED role with Missouri Miss Amazing two years ago.

Six participants were crowned Missouri Miss Amazing Queens, ranging from Preteen to the Mentor division, and SEF is particularly proud of this year’s Preteen winner, Kensley Stone. Kensley was crowned on Saturday evening and will represent Missouri in the National event this summer in Chicago.

Kensley was one of our first participants in SEF’s Autism Independence Project last summer, and her mother shared with us that her experience contributed to her poise, befriending other participants, and nailing the interview portion of the event. SEF and our partners at iSocial are proud to have contributed to Kensley’s growth over the past year.

Our final SEF connection with the Missouri Miss Amazing event over the weekend was that SEF Executive Director Tim Eby had the privilege of serving as one of the judges for the Sunday portion of the event. The judges evaluate Miss Amazing participants in three skill areas: interview, introduction, and passion presentation. Eby described the day as incredibly inspiring and an honor to be a part of something that positively impacts these courageous women and girls.

The power of building self-esteem is vital for women with disabilities.

Missouri Miss Amazing's Approach to Self-Esteem: We provide opportunities for girls and women with disabilities to consider their goals, step outside of their comfort zones, and build networks of support. By investing in girls with disabilities, we nurture a strong community of leaders who push back against stereotypes and advocate for change, thereby creating even greater opportunities for the next generation

Positive self-esteem also contributes to improved health and a healthy lifestyle, and increased chances that a woman with a disability obtains employment.