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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Congratulations to our Oklahoma finalists! It pays to apply and, if not selected the first year, to keep doing so!Applications for next year will be open November 1, 2018. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='page-break-after:avoid'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>National Federation of the Blind Announces 2018 Scholarship Program Finalists</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Baltimore, Maryland (May 29, 2018): </span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the nation’s oldest and largest organization of blind people, today announced the finalists for its 2018 Scholarship Program, which awards thirty scholarships each year to recognize achievement by blind scholars. The students are listed below in alphabetical order with their home states and vocational goals.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><ul style='margin-top:0in' type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Naim Muawia Abu-El Hawa, VA: Diplomat</span><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Alexandra Alfonso, DC: Music, Education, and Pre-law</span><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Tasnim Alshuli, AZ: Professor</span><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Millad Bokhouri, PA: Medical program designer</span><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Tyron Bratcher, MD: Rehabilitation counselor</span><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Chrys Buckley, OR: Physician</span><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Ozgul Calicioglu, PA: Environmental sustainability specialist </span><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Olivia Charland, MA: Conservation biologist</span><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Purvi Contractor, TX: Aerospace</span><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Kenia Flores, NC: Civil rights attorney</span><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>John Harrison, WI: Advocate</span><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Eric Harvey, CA: Near East cultural specialist</span><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Justin Heard, GA: Teacher</span><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>J.D. Humphrey, MI: Ethnomedicine </span><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Trisha Kulkarni, OH: Software engineer </span><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Amanda Lannan, FL: Teacher education </span><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Shane Lowe, KY: Cyber security and business administration</span><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Seth Lowman, ID: Sound design and music production</span><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Sara Mornis, VT: Writing and psychology</span><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Connor Mullin, NJ: Cane travel instructor</span><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Sara Patnaude, VA: Victim’s advocate</span><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Menuka Rai, ND: Physical therapist</span><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Elizabeth Rouse, IA: Attorney</span><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Yasmine Marie Sarraf, AZ: Forensic scientist </span><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Caitlin Sarubbi, NY: Physician</span><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Rilee Sloan, OK: Attorney</span><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Harry Staley, Jr., TX: Autonomous vehicle development</span><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Matt Turner, ID: Economics and technology </span><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Cathy Tuton, OK: Dietician </span><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Paige Young, ME: Business administration </span><o:p></o:p></li></ul><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>“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 sound design to international diplomacy, and to welcome each of them to our upcoming national convention and to the family of the National Federation of the Blind. The accomplishments of these outstanding students are proof of our conviction that we, the blind of this nation, can live the lives we want; blindness does not hold us back.” </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Each finalist will attend the NFB’s seventy-eighth annual national convention, beginning July 3, in Orlando, Florida, where the Scholarship Committee will spend several days getting to know each student and then decide which scholarship (ranging in value from $3,000 to $12,000) to award each of them. The scholarship winners will then be announced at the banquet of the NFB National Convention on Sunday, July 8.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>For more information on the National Federation of the Blind Scholarship Program, visit </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><a href="http://www.nfb.org/scholarships">www.nfb.org/scholarships</a></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>###</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>About the National Federation of the Blind </span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), headquartered in Baltimore, is the oldest and largest nationwide organization of blind Americans. Founded in 1940, the NFB consists of affiliates, chapters, and divisions in the fifty states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. The NFB defends the rights of blind people of all ages and provides information and support to families with blind children, older Americans who are losing vision, and more. We believe in the hopes and dreams of blind people and work together to transform them into reality. Learn more about our many programs and initiatives at </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><a href="http://www.nfb.org">www.nfb.org</a></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>CONTACT:</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Chris Danielsen</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Director of Public Relations</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>National Federation of the Blind</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>(410) 659-9314, extension 2330</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>(410) 262-1281 (Cell)</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><a href="mailto:cdanielsen@nfb.org">cdanielsen@nfb.org</a></span><o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>