[Cinci-nfb] FW: [Nfbnet-members-list] National Federation of the Blind Recognizes Thirty Outstanding Blind Students

[Deborah Kendrick]

Greetings Cincinnati Federationists,

Most of you know by now that our own Elif Emir Oksuz was a scholarship
winning star at the NFB national convention.  

I thought you might enjoy seeing her name again and all of the other winners
in the 2016 class.  

It strikes me as a particularly remarkable mix of career goals and I thought
you might enjoy reading it as well.

 

Congratulations again, Elif.  We love you!

 

Peace,

Deborah

 

 

From: NFBNet-Members-List [mailto:nfbnet-members-list-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Morey, Kristian via NFBNet-Members-List
Sent: Wednesday, July 20, 2016 10:43 PM
To: nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org
Subject: [Nfbnet-members-list] National Federation of the Blind Recognizes
Thirty Outstanding Blind Students

 

 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
CONTACT:
Chris Danielsen
Director of Public Relations
National Federation of the Blind
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)
cdanielsen at nfb.org

 
National Federation of the Blind Recognizes Thirty Outstanding Blind
Students
 
Maria "Conchita" Hernandez of Washington, DC, Awarded $12,000 Scholarship

 
Baltimore, Maryland (July 20, 2016): The National Federation of the Blind
(NFB), the nation's oldest and largest organization of blind people, today
announced the winners of its 2016 scholarships, which were awarded at the
organization's recent national convention in Orlando. The winner of the
organization's top prize of $12,000, donated by the American Action Fund for
Blind Children and Adults, was Maria "Conchita" Hernandez of Washington, DC,
a doctoral candidate who is pursuing research on reading media assessments.
The other winners are listed below in alphabetical order with their home
states, vocational goals, and scholarship awards where applicable. Unless
otherwise indicated, each received a National Federation of the Blind
Scholarship in the amount of $3,000. 
 
Tara Abella, IN: Elementary/Special Education Teacher
Justine "JJ" Aragon, CO: Rehabilitation Counseling
Deniz Aydemir-Doke, PA: Higher Education
Samrawit Biyazin, OR: Certified Public Accountant ($3,000 Charles & Betty
Allen Scholarship)
Megan Borella, CA: Business or Information Systems ($3,000 Expedia
Scholarship)
Riki Danielle Burton, KY: Teaching Blind Students 
Brennan Carman, NY: Medical Research ($5,000 National Federation of the
Blind Scholarship)
Merry-Noel Chamberlain, NE: Higher Education ($3,000 Charles & Melva T. Owen
Memorial Scholarship)
Nathan Clark, MD: Juvenile Probation Officer
Elif Emir Oksuz, OH: Mental Health Counselor ($5,000 Pearson Scholarship)
Laura Etori, NJ: Actuary ($8,000 Oracle Scholarship for Excellence in a STEM
Field)
Jameyanne Fuller, NH: Law ($5,000 Mimi & Marvin Sandler Scholarship)
Deanna Greco, NJ: Brain Research
Nazanin Heydarian, TX: Medical Research
Sharon Jose, VA: Computer Science Engineer ($3,000 Adrienne Asch Memorial
Scholarship)
Matthew Miller, IL: Actuary 
James Garret Mooney, AZ: Law ($3,000 E. U. & Gene Parker Scholarship)
Kathryn Olsen, IA: Physical Therapist 
Chelsea Page, LA: Blind Instruction and Early Intervention
Precious Perez, MA: Professional Performer/Music Educator ($5,000 Larry
Streeter Memorial Scholarship)
Donna Posont, MI: Naturalist 
Syed Rizvi, MA: Health Informatics and Data Analytics ($8,000 Oracle
Scholarship for Excellence in Computer Science)
Joe Rowell, MA: Public Interest Law
Kartik Sawhney, CA: Software Development ($3,000 Expedia Scholarship)
Kennedy Stomberg, MN: Research 
Corgan Waters, TN: Pathology
Kathryn Webster, CT: Actuarial Science Consulting ($10,000 Charles & Melva
T. Owen Memorial Scholarship)
Kassidy Wilde, UT: Psychology ($3,000 NFB Science and Engineering Division
Scholarship)
Johna Wright, GA: Blind Education
 
"The scholarship program is one of our most important initiatives," said
Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind. "We
are proud to honor these blind scholars, who are studying everything from
elementary education to software development, and in so doing raising the
expectations of what blind people can achieve. Their accomplishments are
proof of our conviction that we, the blind of this nation, can live the
lives we want; blindness does not hold us back."
 
Several hundred students competed for the NFB scholarships. A committee of
blind persons representing a cross section of the NFB membership, including
several former scholarship winners, narrowed the field to thirty finalists.
Each finalist was then given roundtrip transportation, hotel accommodations,
and assistance to attend the NFB convention in Orlando, where the committee
spent several days getting to know each student. Only after that process was
complete did the committee decide which scholarship to award each finalist.
Nearly three thousand blind people attended the convention, the largest
gathering of its kind in the United States this year.
 
In addition to the NFB scholarship, each of the thirty winners received a
$1,000 check and plaque from Ray Kurzweil, a Google Chromebook laptop, a
$1,000 cash award from Google, and a certificate towards the purchase of a
Talking LabQuest from Independence Science.
 

###

 
About the National Federation of the Blind 
 
The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want;
blindness is not what holds you back.
 
 
 

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