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

[Elif Emir Öksüz]

Thanks Deborah, and Cincinnati chapter. You did honor me. It is my
pleasure to know all of you. we need to celebrate this in our next
meeting.

2016-07-21 7:27 GMT-04:00, Deborah Kendrick via Cinci-nfb
<cinci-nfb at nfbnet.org>:
> 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.
>
>
>
>
>