Gina Battaglia Memorial Student Intern Scholarship fundraiser

Gina Battaglia memorial image with text 

NCRF Gina Battaglia Memorial Student Intern Scholarship

Nominations open January 2027

Two $2,000 memorial scholarships have been created by our NCRF Trustees and Angel Gatherers Committee members to honor the memory of Gina Battaglia, daughter of Angel Stephanie Zeder Battaglia, RMR, CRR, a freelance court reporter from Hinsdale, Ill.

Gina passed away unexpectedly in October 2022. Stephanie’s Facebook practice colleagues and other court reporting friends started a fundraiser to honor Gina’s memory. She also is now an NCRF Memorial Angel.


Two scholarship awards: $2,000 each

Scholarship requirements

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible to apply for the Gina Battaglia Memorial Student Intern Scholarship, students must meet the criteria below:

  • Be a current NCRA student member;
  • Be enrolled in a stenographic court reporting program;
  • Have been an intern in the past 12 months in any of the three career paths: Judicial (official or freelance), CART, or captioning;
  • Must have passed at least one of the program’s Q&A or literary tests at a minimum of 160 wpm;
  • Have a grade point average of at least a 3.5 overall based on a 4.0 standard or equivalent; academic transcripts will be requested;
  • Possess all the qualities exemplified by a professional court reporter, including professional attitude, demeanor, dress, and motivation as confirmed in a letter of recommendation.

How to apply

IMPORTANT – Submission requirements:
  • File naming: Files must include the applicant's last name, first name, and document type. Files that are not clearly labeled will not be reviewed.
    Format: LastName_FirstName_DocumentType | Example: Smith_Jane_Essay
  • Essay file naming: Include the applicant’s last name, first name, document type and essay topic. Example: Smith_Jane_Essay_EssayTopic

Submit the following materials:

  • Application form (available when nominations open);
  • Instructor verification form (required): Instructor/supervisor must complete the Instructor Verification Form (PDF) and email it to ncrfoundation@ncra.org;
  • A copy of the student's most recent academic transcript;
  • A letter of recommendation from an instructor or intern supervisor;
  • An essay of 300-500 words on the topic:
    Stenographic professionals remain the backbone of our legal system and accessibility tools. What technology tools, resources, and strategies help you maintain your skill level and well-being to do well in this career? (Please use examples.)

Scholarship winners

  • 2025: Mariana Schmidt, Community College of Allegheny County, Allegheny, Pa.
  • 2025: Sydney Slocum, Des Moines Area Community College, Des Moines, Iowa
  • 2024: Jessica Allen-Koontz, Los Angeles, Calif.
  • 2024: Angie Podge, RSR, Kansas City, Mo.
  • 2023: Sophia Morris, Austin, Texas

Contact

For questions about this or other NCRF scholarships, contact Jill Landsman at jlandsman@ncra.org or Alex Vlahopoulos at avlahopoulos@ncra.org.