[nabs-l] Mary Fernandez for NABS Secretary

[Mary Fernandez]

Hello All:
	I know I have been sending a ton of emails in the last few days! And
here’s one more! As the subject indicates, I am intending to run for
NABS Secretary on July 4th, so I wanted to take the time to tell you a
little about myself, and how I could be an asset to NABS if you decide
to elect me for Secretary.
	My name is Mary Fernandez and I am a rising Senior at Emory
University in Atlanta. I became involved in the NFB in 2006, when I
participated in the RocketON! Program. In the Fall of that same year I
held my first student division office, when I was elected as
Secretary/treasurer of the New Jersey Association of Blind Students.
After beginning college in Atlanta in 2008, I resigned my position as
an officer of NJABS and began to serve as Secretary of GABS. In 2009 I
became 1st Vice President of GABS and in 2010 I was elected as
president of GABS. I was also part of the 2010 NFB Scholarship class
and received the Charles and Melva T. Owen Memorial $10,000
Scholarship. This summer I am Interning at the NFB National Center
with the Department of Affiliate action. I am also very active outside
of the NFB and have been a resident Advisor in college and conducted
undergraduate research for the T. S. Eliot Project. This project seeks
to, for the first time,   to compile all of Eliot’s prose in one
collection.
	Having served as secretary for two student divisions before, I
understand that the position entails a lot more than simply taking
minutes during meetings. As a NABS board member, I would not only seek
to fulfill the traditional duties associated with the position, but
also help NABS move forward and grow in the following ways.
1.	Strengthen the relationship between NABS and state divisions. As
the President of a very strong division, I want to insure that NABS is
doing everything possible to help the state divisions grow
individually thus creating an even stronger national division. I think
that the regional representatives are a great way to connect with
states, however, I would help develop an accountability system for
regional representatives and state division leaders, so that we insure
NABS is doing its utmost to connect with states.
2.	Help strengthen the relationship between affiliates and state
divisions. Through teleconferencing, annual seminars, and utilizing
both Washington Seminar and national conventions as a venue to get
everyone together, I believe that NABS can facilitate better
relationships between the state leadership and the student divisions.
This alliance is especially important, because having the support of
an affiliate will give our divisions confidence and resources which
will improve the chances of their success.
3.	Creating new innovative programs for students to interact with each
other on a national level. Through regional student seminars,
leadership seminars for student leaders, we can help each other learn
and grow on an individual level and become more cohesive as a whole.
Also, I would like to start the Stalk a College Student on a national
level. This program connects blind high school students and college
students so that the high school students get to shadow a college
student for a day.
Those are just a few ideas from me. Please, please contact me with any
questions, comments or concerns. I will see you all at convention and
I hope you will vote for me.
Sincerely,



-- 
Mary Fernandez
President: Georgia Association of Blind Students
Emory University 2012
P.O. Box 123056
Atlanta Ga.
30322
Phone: 732-857-7004

"It's not worth doing something unless someone, somewhere, would much
rather you weren't doing it."
Terry Pratchett