[Oabs] minutes from Friday

[Aleeha Dudley]

Good evening and happy no finals, OABSters,
     Below you will find the minutes from Friday's meeting. I
attempted to include as many of the questions and answers as I could,
while still keeping the meaning quite clear. So, Here goes! Have a
merry Christmas, all!


Ohio Association of Blind Students
Monthly Conference Call
Date: December 19, 2014
Members Present: Aleeha Dudley, Kaiti Shelton, Brennen Kinche, Elif Emir Öksüz
The meeting was called to order by president Kaiti Shelton at exactly 7:35 PM.
Our special guest for the evening was Patti Gregory-Chang, former
president and current treasurer of the NFB of Illinois. Patti also
chairs our scholarship program.
I. Scholarship Presentation
1. goals of the presentation
A. to present details about the scholarship program for those who
might not be aware
b. to encourage those of us who are aware of the program to spread the
word about it to as many people as possible
2. The Program
A. So far this year, Ohio has had no applicants. The application has
been open for almost 2 months now. This means that we must share this
information far and wide.
B. There are four qualifications a student must meet in order to
receive a scholarship from the NFB.
 - must be legally blind in both eyes
 - must be a U.S. citizen, or must show intent to remain in the country
 - Must attend a US university in the fall after receipt of the
scholarship. Most students must attend full time, although one
scholarship is given to a student who attends a university part-time
and works full-time.
 -  Must attend the entirety of the NFB National convention in July.
 C. It was expressed by several call attendees that the convention was
the most valuable part of their scholarship because it provided long
lasting networking and mentoring opportunities.
D. FAQ:
 - You do not have to be an NFB member to win a scholarship
 - Essay: Be open with the committee and tell them who you are and how
you handle your blindness. Do not give your life story.
 - Your essay must demonstrate past leadership or the ability to lead
in the future
 - winners' essays often emphasize leadership
 - many winners do not use all 700 words. This is merely a guideline,
not a requirement.
 - Many potential winners are removed from the running for not
proofreading or being much too long-winded. Be concise and check your
work.
 - often times, the committee must be very picky. There were 600
applicants in 2014 and 700 in 2013.
 - Statistics show that online applications do better for some reason
than the print ones. Keep the application electronic if you can. 2.
Who can we reach out to with this information?
A. Vocational rehabilitation counselors
B. Fellow students
C. Disability Services offices at universities: each of us should at
least contact our own DS office
D. Library for the blind
E. other organizations for the blind: sightless childrens club, lions, etc.
f. TVI's: they often know many blind students
G. O&M instructors
H. high school guidance counselors
3. Questions for Patti
A.
Q: Why does this application not seem to work with the Mac?
A: Patti has not yet tried the application with the Mac this year,
although it did work last year with the mac and VoiceOver. For
technical questions like this, it is best to contact John Bergron at
jbergron at nfb.org. He handles the techy side of things.
B.
Q. Are there any examples of winning content from previous years?
A: Yes. If you go to nfb.org/scholarships, you will find a couple
articles of interest.
C.
Q. How do I prepare if I am not yet a senior in high school?
A. It never hurts to look at the application and start crafting your
essay. The more you do this, the better prepared you will be at the
time of your actual application.
D.
Q: What if your transcript is not an actuall reflection of your
abilities due to the fact that you have had issues getting
accommodations?
A: Explain this as best as possible in your essay. Also, provide a
letter or other supporting documents, explaining the situatiohn. You
can also use a letter from your state NFB president.
E.
Q: Can I send my essay to be proofread by someone?
A: Absolutely. There are many in Ohio who have won scholarships.
Barbara Pierce is also a wonderful resource. It could also help to
come back to your essay after a couple of days to get a fresh look at
it.
4. You can contact:
A. scholarships at nfb.org
b. pattischang at gmail.com
II. Kaiti was contacted by a task force within NABS that is compiling
TEACHE act testimonials from students. Kaiti would like them as soon
as possible. An email will be sent to the list about this shortly.
Adjournment: the meeting was adjourned at 8:31 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
Aleeha Dudley, Vice President


-- 
Aleeha Dudley and Seeing Eye Yellow Labrador Dallas
Vice President, Ohio Association of Blind Students
Email: blindcowgirl1993 at gmail.com
Follow me on Twitter at @blindcowgirl199

The wind of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears.
- Arabian Proverb