[nabs-l] Justin Salisbury for NABS President.

[Kathryn Webster]

Fellow Members, Leaders, and Nabsters,
>> 	First and foremost, I want to thank each and every individual who is reading this message in advance. It has been my pleasure to be apart of such an amazing organization for the past three years, however that membership has only been full of dedication, commitment, and passion for the last year. I thank Justin Salisbury entirely for my growth as a federationist and leader as a student. I understand that putting one person accountable for my development in the NFB may seem extreme, but it is simply the truth. Since I won the Readers Are Leaders award in Connecticut during my high school years, Justin has spent countless hours mentoring and enlightening me. His efforts were not solely Federation based, as he offered personal advice and shed light on my flawed perspectives. I was young, immature, and confused, yet Justin never gave up on what he a saw as potential.  His leadership skills are impeccable, and I can fully attest to this through his involvement in the Connecticut affiliate, North Carolina affiliate, North Carolina Association of Blind Students, and most significantly, the Connecticut association of Blind Students. After founding the student division in Connecticut over a year ago, Justin's presidency has demonstrated his potential as a greater leader. He not only takes the right amount of control in any situation, but he listens to others and believes in those who have a passion for progress and improvement. He consistently represents an optimistic and hopeful friend as Justin provides insight into those matters he is confident in expressing thought and perception.
>> I can speak for all Connecticut students when I say that Justin Salisbury asserts his official position in a way that makes all members and fellow leaders feel comfortable and welcomed when contributing. He always encourages new ideas and takes each member's opinion to heart when pondering a change, improvement, or fundraising strategy. He helps anyone at anytime and in any way, and never belittles any opinion or thought. 
>> As he interns at the national office this summer, I know he is learning even more than I can imagine, and will bring all of that knowledge to the table when strengthening nabs. Even as he is busy each day in Baltimore, Justin devotes time to the Connecticut Association of Blind students, on top of his other various involvements in the Federation. Justin is extraordinarily well-rounded through his background, academic achievements, and demographics. He truly cares about the Federation in a way that is different from any other individual. When I think of Justin, I think of success. Now that I think about it, as I gave my scholarship introductory speech during the Nabs Business Meeting last year at Convention, even then I emphasized my gratitude for Justin's mentorship over the years.
>> Justin is organized, bright, confident, extroverted, outgoing, intelligent, and has a great sense of humor. He has made connections with national leaders that will help progress our movement to levels we have never seen. I know that no president will ever be perfect, but I know that Justin's passion will shine if elected. He has served on the Nabs Board, various state boards, and has been elected president in various student divisions. He also is on the Steering Committee for the newly founded 75 Day campaign, a select group of leaders who live for the growth, advancement, and expansion of the Federation as a whole.  Justin has the Federation philosophy that is necessary in this position.
> To demonstrate his progress in developing one of the many student divisions, he has brilliantly crafted the idea of an advertisement directory. Now, the Connecticut student division can easily network to all colleges throughout CT in order to pull in new members and broaden our student division. Furthermore, we are incorporating a student seminar into our State Convention this year, an idea stemmed from his service in North Carolina. Justin also has put tireless effort into helping the students in North Carolina and Connecticut. He has written at least ten letters elaborating on his personal story in order to seek attention from various congressmen, so that co-sponsorship of the Teach Act will grow. He served as Connecticut's Legislative Committee Chairperson for years, and knows the inns and outs regarding what is necessary in achieving equality within the government.
> I I thoroughly recognize his willingness to listen, his availability regardless of the circumstance, and his compassion for each and every one of you.
>> Even though Justin may come off as intimidating at times *laugh*, he is without a doubt prepared and equipped with the skills needed in serving as the next president of nabs.
>> Nabs is a growing division and with that comes growth on the board. As the elections take place in just a few days, please consider my above comments. Either way, let go of the popularity aspect and personal relationships, and think about what is best for the student division as a whole.
>> I know this is an exceedingly hard decision because both candidates express specialty in an array of areas, so please do take care when casting your ballot.
>> Please do not hesitate to reach out to me on or off-list, by email or phone, at any time throughout convention. My contact information will be posted below, and I welcome any comments, concerns, or questions.
>> Join me in voting Justin Salisbury as Nabs President this coming Wednesday!
>> 
>> Yours Always,
>> Kathryn C. Webster
>> (203) 273-8463
>> webskc13 at wfu.edu
>> kathrynwebster at me.com
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