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New Professionals Grant

The New Professionals Grant is funded by the National Court Reporters Foundation (NCRF) and is awarded annually to promising working court reporters or captioners during their first year out of school. The grant helps support start-up expenses such as purchasing software and earning credentials.

Four grant awards: Two first-place awards ($4,000 each) and two second-place awards ($2,000 each)

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible to apply for the New Professionals Grant, students must meet the criteria below:

  • Be a current NCRA member.
  • Must have graduated from a court reporting program.
  • Must have graduated with a grade point average of at least 3.5 overall, based on a 4.0 standard or equivalent as verified by his/her transcript.
  • Must be in his/her first year out of school as verified by an official final academic transcript.
  • Must be working in any of the three career paths: Judicial (official/freelance), CART, or captioning.

NOTE:  Only one nomination will be accepted per employer or agency.

How to apply

Important: File formatting requirements
REQUIRED: File names must include the student's last name and first name. Files without the student’s name in the file name will not be reviewed.
Format: LastName_FirstName_DocumentType
Examples: Smith_Jordan_Essay.pdf, Smith_Jordan_Transcript.pdf

 

The following documents are required to be submitted for application:

  • A copy of the student's most recent official academic transcript;
  • A letter of recommendation from the student's employer or contracting agency attesting to the applicant's professional demeanor, attitude, and motivation;
  • An essay of 400-600 words on the following: Imagine you are speaking to a high school student who has never heard of stenographic court reporting or captioning. In your own voice, describe why this profession matters in today’s world — and why it will matter even more in the future.

NOTE:  Only one nomination will be accepted per employer or agency.

SUBMIT APPLICATION
 

Past recipients

Awards List 2025
First place: Delaney Cutch, Fayetteville, NC; Iris Thaller, Mattoon, IL
Second place: Tiffany DelFierro, Nyack, NY; Brittany Jones – Oxford, PA

 

2024
Winners: Katie DeLong, Milwaukee, Wis.; Lydia G. Madlem, Charleston, Ill.; Karli Pikala, Minneapolis, Minn.; Averie Pritchard, Jeannette, Pa.

 

2023
Reanna Buzza, Pittsburgh, PA

 

2022
First place: Bethany Morse
Second place: Claire Stein

 

2021
First place: Sawyer Cox
Second place: Jennifer Gale

 

2020
First place: Erin Johnson ,Carthage IL
Second place: Laura Tello, Alvin, TX

 

2019
Meredith Seymour, Madison, WI

 

2018
Sindee Baum, Magna, North Massapequa, NY

 

2017
Valerie Melkus, Clark & Associates, Charleston, SC

 

2016
Cathy Carpenter, First Choice Reporting & Video, Orlando, FL

 

2015
Rachelle Cahoon, Tucker and Associates, Boise, ID

 

2014
Shannon Bevin, Admiral Reporting and Video Services, Bayside, NY

 

2013
Heather King, Tom Crites & Associates International, Inc., Savannah, GA

 

2012
Anna Lashley, Tallapoosa County Courthouse, Dadeville, AL

 

2011
Lauren Ann Balogh, A. Williams Roberts, Jr. & Assoc., Charleston, SC

 

2010
Sharon Rausch, U.S. Legal Support, Inc., Ft. Lauderdale, FL

 

2009
Linda Visser, Falcon Reporting, Orlando, FL

 

2008
Jennifer Mann, Ace Reporters, Philadelphia, PA

 

2007
Erin Brockman, Polk County Courthouse, Des Moines, IA

 

2006
Kristina Pedersen, Bluegrass Reporting Agency, LLC, Paducah KY

 

2005
Laura Tharp, Siedel & Sasse, Valparaiso, IN

 

 

Contact

For questions or additional information about this program and other NCRF programs, please email ncrfoundation@ncra.org.

 

 

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