Rebecca Sentell Selected Ms. Wheelchair Mississippi

Ms. Wheelchair Mississippi Rebecca Sentell (far right)

Winning the Ms. Wheelchair Mississippi pageant fulfills a longstanding dream for Rebecca Sentell of Madison.

The Mississippi College graduate credits God for allowing her to gain the 2017 title on March 10. She now prepares for the national pageant in Pennsylvania in August.

The Lord “put me in a position where I will be able to make a great impact and change for Mississippians with disabilities,” Sentell said.

Her platform is titled “All About the Journey,” and it’s a cause she will promote in the months leading to the national Ms. Wheelchair pageant in the Keystone State. “I will strive to educate healthcare professionals on methods to create inclusive facilities for people with disabilities.”

Rebecca refuses to let Spina Bifida stand in her way. It is a birth defect where the bones of the spine don’t form properly around a baby’s spinal cord. There are fewer than 200,000 cases reported across the USA each year.

Sentell remains proud of her connections to Baptist-affiliated Mississippi College. She earned her bachelor’s degree from MC in 2010 and a master’s in addiction counseling in 2014. While attending Mississippi College, Rebecca met and married Leland Sentell.

Her string of accomplishments include winning the Living Independence for Everyone of Mississippi lifetime achievement award. She serves as treasurer on the LIFE Youth Board of Directors and as a member of the Coalition of Mississippi Youth Advisory Board.

Sentell works as an employment counselor at the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitative Services. She helps people with intellectual disabilities find jobs. Rebecca is a member of New Life Baptist Church.

A former Ms. Wheelchair Mississippi, MC graduate Lauren Compere believes Sentell will do a wonderful job representing the Magnolia State at the national pageant. The event is set for August 14-20 in Eire, Pennsylvania.

The Ms. Wheelchair Mississippi pageant at Madison Central High attracted four well-qualified contestants. An appearance by Miss Mississippi Laura Lee Lewis, and guest speaker Sen. Sally Doty added to the festivities.

As members of the pageant audience looked on, Rebecca Heath Sentell spoke with passion about her life, story and faith.

Her triumph as the 2017 Ms. Wheelchair Mississippi attracted an outpouring of positive posts from family, friends and admirers on social media.