New professionals who hold the RSR or the RPR and who are in their first two years of reporting are encouraged to apply for the Monyeen Black Memorial Grant, which opens May 1. The grant honors the memory of Monyeen Black, RPR, CRR, who passed away in January 2021. This is the second year the $1,000 award is being offered through the National Court Reporters Foundation (NCRF).
In addition to meeting the noted criteria, candidates must submit an application, a letter of recommendation from their employer, and an essay answering this question “How, when, and why did you realize that a career in court reporting was right for you?”
Full grant requirements can be found here.
“We wanted a way to honor Monyeen’s legacy,” said Rich Germosen, RDR, CRR, CCR, from North Brunswick, N.J. “This memorial grant for new professionals is something ‘Mo’ would have loved, as she loved helping students. Mo was an incredible person and an amazing stenographer as well.”
“Mo loved practicing,” Germosen continued. “She loved practicing with students and helping them get through school and out and in the field working. In the middle of her health battle, she bravely pushed through and did another 100 consecutive days of practice. It was incredible to watch her push through everything she was going through and still practice and improve her skills. She gave everything in life 100-plus percent.”
Last year’s grant was awarded to Taylor Maldonado, RPR, an official court reporter from Dos Palos, Calif. “First and foremost, I would like to thank the Foundation for selecting me to receive the first-ever Monyeen Black Memorial Grant,” Maldonado said when she was selected. “It is a true honor to have been selected out of the many deserving new professional stenographers. Although I may have never met Monyeen, I am honored to have been chosen.”
As a result of recent fundraising for the NCRF Monyeen Black Memorial Grant campaign, NCRF announced that this grant is funded for the next 10 years.
Donations for the Monyeen Black Memorial Grant are being accepted through MobileCause by texting the keyword monyeen to 41444 or using this link.
Read special features about Monyeen Black:
A Court reporter hits the open road
A tribute to Monyeen by Michael Bouley, RDR
For information about this grant and other Foundation offerings, contact Jill Parker Landsman, NCRF manager, at jlandsman@ncra.org.
