The National Court Reporters Foundation announced that Jessica Shines of MacCormac College in Chicago, Ill., and Andriana Bilous of Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) in Alberta, Canada, were selected as its 2020 Student Intern Scholarship awardees.
The Student Intern Scholarship is a $1,000 award given annually to two high-achieving court reporting students who have completed the internship portion of their education. Recipients are nominated by their schools and must fulfill scholarship requirements. The NCRF scholarship program is to ensure that rising student court reporters and newly appointed court reporters receive encouragement and incentives to learn and strive for excellence. The scholarship program was created to help foster dedication from both groups of reporters and is supported by donations. Donations to NCRF campaigns are tax deductible.
“This intern scholarship means a lot to me because I feel like I’m on my way,” Jessica Shines said. “I haven’t even started working, and other professionals are already supporting me.
“I love court reporting because it is the most difficult thing I have ever done, and I get better every day. There is always a new technique to tweak, but there are no limits to what I can do if I just work hard, and there are not too many careers like that. Also, it is just fun! I love the look on people’s faces when I show them this cool, graceful skill,” she added.
Andriana Bilous said she feels honored to have received a scholarship as well. “This program has been so tough and such a challenge, and I think receiving this award feels like all the hours and effort that has been put into this program has been recognized. Of course, I could not have done any of this without the wonderful staff at NAIT. The support and care that they have given me and to all students really is phenomenal, and our successes really show that,” she added.
“As for why I love court reporting, well, honestly, I felt like it was the perfect mix of my interests, abilities, and personality all wrapped into one. I love that it is a job that is constantly evolving, challenging, and teaching you new things throughout your entire career. I’m so excited to get out into the field myself and start this new journey,” Bilous added.
The next NCRF scholarship to be awarded will be the Stenograph Milton H. Wright Memorial Scholarship. To learn more, visit NCRA.org/NCRF. The deadline to apply is March 1. For more information about NCRF and other scholarship opportunities, email ncrfoundation@ncra.org.
