The National Court Reporters Foundation (NCRF) is now accepting nominations for the Frank Sarli Memorial Scholarship and the Student Intern Scholarship. The deadline for both these scholarships is Dec. 1.
Frank Sarli Memorial Scholarship
NCRF’s Frank Sarli Memorial Scholarship of $2,000 has benefited court reporting students nearing graduation for 20 years. The award honors the late Frank Sarli, a court reporter who was committed to supporting students at the highest level of their education. Sarli, who was studying to become a professional pianist, turned to court reporting when he could no longer afford the tuition to music school. During his career, he opened Accurate Court Reporters in Orlando, Fla., Orange County’s first independent court reporting firm, and was a founding member of the Florida Shorthand Reporters Association. Sarli also served in numerous roles at the national level, including as a director for NCRA. He was the first Floridian to earn NCRA’s Distinguished Service Award.
“This scholarship helped me immensely because I was able to use some of the funds for my professional machine, which helped me enter the workforce without being in debt, the first leg of my RPR, and my airfare to attend the NCRA Convention in Chicago, which was incredibly inspiring and motivating for a new reporter/recent grad,” said Nicole Bulldis, RPR, an official court reporter in Pasco, Wash., and the 2016 recipient of the Sarli scholarship.
Court reporting students must be nominated by an instructor or advisor and meet a number of specific criteria to be eligible, including:
- enrollment in an NCRA-approved court reporting program
- passing at least one of the court reporting program’s Q&A tests at a minimum of 200 words per minute
- having a GPA of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale,
- demonstrating the need for financial assistance
- possessing the qualities exemplified by a professional court reporter, including attitude, demeanor, dress, and motivation
Submit a nomination for the Frank Sarli Memorial Scholarship
Student Intern Scholarship
Each year, NCRF awards two $1,000 scholarships to students who have completed or are currently performing the required internship portion of their court reporting program. They must also meet other specific criteria, including:
- current membership in NCRA
- having a grade point average of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale
- attending an NCRA-approved court reporting program
A generous annual donation from the Reis Family Foundation helps fund these scholarships.
“Receiving [this scholarship], was a financial boon for my transition from student intern to working reporter,” said Stephen Sudano, a freelance court reporter from Bohemia, N.Y., and one of the 2016 recipients of the Student Intern Scholarship. “A career as a freelance court reporter requires a substantial investment to get off the ground. This scholarship helped pay for my professional equipment, and I appreciate it to this day.”
Submit a nomination for the Student Intern Scholarship
NCRF’s scholarships and grant are supported by donations to the NCRF Angels Drive and other fundraisers. To learn more about these scholarships, and to find the nomination forms, please visit NCRA.org/NCRF/Scholarships.
