The deadline to apply for the National Court Reporters Foundation New Professional Reporter Grant has been extended to June 30. The award goes to a reporter who is in his or her first year of work, has graduated within a year from an NCRA-approved court reporting program, and meets specific criteria, including a grade point average of 3.5 or above, a letter of recommendation, and actively working in any of the career paths of judicial (official/freelance), CART, or captioning. The grant provides an award of $2,000 and has been offered by NCRF since 2005.
Last year’s winner was Meredith Seymour, an official court reporter from Madison, Wis. Seymour said last year that, early on as a student at Lakeshore Technical College, she became grateful for the generosity and support of NCRF. While working two jobs and attending classes, she shared that there were days when the coursework and practicing became overwhelming. But, she added, meeting fellow NCRA members at conventions and receiving support from them helped her keep her chin up, especially their encouragement that the time and resources she was investing to pursue a career in court reporting would one day turn into a wonderful profession.
After winning last year, Seymour said, “Receiving this scholarship is a privilege that I am very thankful for. Upon graduating this past December and immediately getting hired as a district reporter for the State of Wisconsin Circuit Court System, I incurred many expenses,” Seymour said. “The grant from NCRA will be put to good use in paying off the debt from purchasing a steno machine, computer, software, and residual student loans.”
Criteria for NCRF’s New Professional Reporter Grant
- The applicant must be a current NCRA member.
- The applicant must have graduated from a court reporting program.
- The applicant must have graduated with a grade point average of at least a 3.5 overall, based on a 4.0 standard or equivalent, as verified by his/her transcript.
- The applicant must submit a copy of his/her official transcript with this application.
- The applicant must be in his/her first year out of school, as verified by an official transcript.
- The applicant must submit a letter of recommendation from his/her employer or contracting agency attesting to the applicant’s professional demeanor, attitude, and motivation.
- The applicant must be working in any of the three career paths: judicial (official/freelance), CART, or captioning.
Questions? Email jlandsman@ncra.org
