[Nfbnet-members-list] National Federation of the Blind Recognizes Thirty Outstanding Blind Students

[Danielsen, Chris]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

National Federation of the Blind Recognizes Thirty Outstanding Blind Students
Harry Staley, Jr. of Texas Awarded Top $12,000 Scholarship

Baltimore, Maryland (August 2, 2018): The National Federation of the 
Blind (NFB), the nation's oldest and largest organization of blind 
people, today announced the 
<https://nfb.org/programs/scholarship-program/2018-winners>winners of 
its 2018 scholarships, which were awarded at the organization's 
recent national convention in Orlando. The winner of the 
organization's top prize of $12,000, donated by the American Action 
Fund for Blind Children and Adults, is Harry Staley, Jr., of Texas, 
who is pursuing a computer science degree at Texas A&M and whose 
career goal is to work in autonomous vehicle development.

"I am grateful for the scholarship, but more importantly, I am 
grateful for the terrific leaders I have met throughout the National 
Federation of the Blind," said Mr. Staley. "They have taught me to 
dream bigger, pushing my dreams beyond what I once believed to be possible."

In addition to their scholarship, each student received a $1,000 
check and plaque from inventor and futurist Dr. Ray Kurzweil, a 
Google Chromebook laptop, a $1,000 cash award from Google, a 
certificate towards the purchase of a Talking LabQuest from 
Independence Science, and nine months of service from Aira, for a 
total award for each winner with a minimum value exceeding $5,000. 
Here is an alphabetical listing of the other twenty-nine winners, 
with their home state and career goal or field of study. Unless 
otherwise indicated, each student received a $3,000 National 
Federation of the Blind Scholarship:

    * Naim Muawia Abu-El Hawa, VA: Diplomat
    * Alexandra Alfonso, DC: Music, Education, and Pre-law
    * Tasnim Alshuli, AZ: Professor ($3,000 Expedia Scholarship)
    * Millad Bokhouri, PA: Medical program designer
    * Tyron Bratcher, MD: Rehabilitation counselor
    * Chrys Buckley, OR: Physician ($10,000 Charles and Melva T. Owen 
Memorial Scholarship)
    * Ozgul Calicioglu, PA: Environmental sustainability specialist 
($8,000 Oracle Scholarship for Excellence in a STEM Field)
    * Olivia Charland, MA: Conservation biologist
    * Purvi Contractor, TX: Aerospace
    * Kenia Flores, NC: Civil rights attorney ($5,000 JAWS for 
Windows Scholarship)
    * John Harrison, WI: Advocate
    * Eric Harvey, CA: Near East cultural specialist ($3,000 Adrienne 
Asch Memorial Scholarship)
    * Justin Heard, GA: Teacher
    * J.D. Humphrey, MI: Ethnomedicine
    * Trisha Kulkarni, OH: Software engineer ($8,000 Oracle 
scholarship for Excellence in Computer Science)
    * Amanda Lannan, FL: Teacher education
    * Shane Lowe, KY: Cyber security and business administration 
($5,000 Pehrson Scholarship)
    * Seth Lowman, ID: Sound design and music production
    * Sara Mornis, VT: Writing and psychology
    * Connor Mullin, NJ: Cane travel instructor
    * Sara Patnaude, VA: Victim's advocate ($3,000 E.U. and Gene 
Parker Scholarship)
    * Menuka Rai, ND: Physical therapist
    * Elizabeth Rouse, IA: Attorney ($5,000 Mimi and Marvin Sandler 
Scholarship)
    * Yasmine Marie Sarraf, AZ: Forensic scientist
    * Caitlin Sarubbi, NY: Physician ($3,000 Expedia Scholarship)
    * Rilee Sloan, OK: Attorney
    * Matt Turner, ID: Economics and technology ($3,000 Charles and 
Betty Allen Scholarship)
    * Cathy Tuton, OK: Dietician ($5,000 NFB STEM Scholarship)
    * Paige Young, ME: Business administration

"The scholarship program is one of our most important initiatives," 
said Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the 
Blind. "We are proud to honor these blind scholars, who are studying 
everything from aerospace to ethnomedicine, and in so doing raising 
the expectations of what blind people can achieve. Their 
accomplishments are proof of our conviction that we, the blind of 
this nation, can live the lives we want; blindness does not hold us back."

Several hundred students competed for the scholarships. A committee 
of blind people representing a diverse cross section of the NFB 
membership, including several former scholarship winners, narrowed 
the field to thirty finalists. Each finalist was then given roundtrip 
transportation, hotel accommodations, and assistance to attend the 
National Federation of the Blind National Convention in Orlando, 
where the committee spent several days getting to know each student. 
Only after that process was complete did the committee decide which 
scholarship to award each finalist. Nearly three thousand blind 
people, their families and friends, and other supporters attended the 
convention.

Special thanks go to the Jesse and Hertha Adams Charitable Trust for 
its support of the National Federation of the Blind scholarship program.

For more information about the National Federation of the Blind 
scholarship program, please visit 
<http://www.nfb.org/scholarships>www.nfb.org/scholarships.

###

About the National Federation of the Blind
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 
<http://www.nfb.org>www.nfb.org.

CONTACT:
Chris Danielsen
Director of Public Relations
National Federation of the Blind
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)
<mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org>cdanielsen at nfb.org










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