TAHLEQUAH — Elizabeth Reeve, a Cherokee-Delaware citizen and Tahlequah resident, knows the challenges associated with having a disability, first through her students and later through a life-altering injury. Reeve will tackle a new challenge this week as she vies for the Ms. Wheelchair America title in Maryland.

“The closer the competition gets the more nervous I become,” Reeve said. “I never gave much thought about taking part in a pageant before and now here I am competing for a national title.”

Reeve is the Ms. Oklahoma Wheelchair representative and a recent graduate of Northeastern State University.

A spinal cord injury and other medical issues caused Reeve to lose her ability to walk and caused her to make adjustments in her life that led her to the Cherokee Nation’s Vocational Rehabilitation (CNVR) Project.

“Before coming to the Cherokee Nation, I had a negative attitude,” Reeve said. “I was a special education teacher before my injury and thought that I had a good understanding of what my students were going through. I was wrong. I only began to understand when I found myself in a wheelchair.”

Reeve said Vocational Rehabilitation taught her to set a new plan of action for her life. With the assistance of the tribe’s program, Reeve learned how to work through her problems and physical limitations. Reeve also obtained a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from NSU and graduated among the top of her class.

“Cherokee Nation’s Voc Rehab has taught me to become more of an advocate for myself and enabled me to begin a new career path. I feel like I can be more of an assistant to the community now and the program has given me life skills that I might not have had.”

Cherokee Nation Vocational Rehabilitation assists Native Americans with disabilities with the costs associated with acquiring the skills needed to find or maintain gainful employment. Services provided through Vocational Rehabilitation include counseling and guidance, classroom training, support services and interviewing skills as well as other resources.

To be considered for the Cherokee Nation’s Vocational Rehabilitation Project, applicants must be a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe, reside in the 14-county jurisdictional area of the Cherokee Nation, have a mental or physical disability which interferes with employability and who can benefit from services rendered.

“Our department congratulates Elizabeth on all of her accomplishments,” said Mary Ross, CNVR Counselor. “She has always been a pleasure to work with and an inspiration. I wish her luck in the upcoming national pageant and all of her professional goals.”