RESTON, Va., Aug. 2, 2021— The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), the country’s leading organization representing stenographic court reporters, captioners, and legal videographers, has announced that Heather Bonds from Santa Cruz, Calif., a student at the College of Court Reporting in Valparaiso, Ind., has been awarded a $500 NCRA A to Z® Scholarship. The scholarships are supported by funds from the National Court Reporters Foundation (NCRF), the philanthropic arm of NCRA.

Bonds, who is writing at nearly 120 words per minute, expects to graduate in October of 2022 and is excited about entering the field as a freelance court reporter, but said she is also intrigued by the idea of being a captioner for sporting events, business seminars, and awards shows.

Bonds said she heard about court reporting when she was in her 20s. “However, with it being the well-kept secret that it is, there wasn't enough information out there to grasp all the wonderful things it entailed. It wasn't until a family member, who is a criminal court judge in Los Angeles County, asked me two years ago if I had considered the profession,” she said.

Bonds said he told her that his court reporter is the most valued person in his courtroom and that she too was a single mother who was now able to provide great things for her children.

“Since I was at a pivotal point in my life, I used that valuable conversation to do extensive research about the field to ensure I was making the right decision. I still have a lot of unanswered questions about the profession, but I know that court reporting is my lifeline for giving my daughters a better future,” Bonds added.

Bonds said the scholarship money not only will help pay for her tuition, but it also validates the continuous 4.0 GPA she maintained during a difficult time in her life when the school she had been attending changed to a no-credit platform, eliminating grants and student loan opportunities.

“The irony of this year's convention being in Las Vegas and having NCRA see me as someone worth betting on, gives me hope and pride that I've chosen the right path. It shows me that everything I'm sacrificing to accomplish my goal of becoming a stenographer is worth it, and there are some wonderful people in this profession looking out for my future.”

To be eligible for the NCRA A to Z Scholarship, students must meet the requirements listed below and submit an application.

Have completed an NCRA A to Z Intro to Steno Machine Shorthand program.

• Have received an NCRA A to Z Certificate of Completion.
• Have attained an exemplary academic record.
• Have passed one skills test writing 60-100 words per minute at the time of submission.

For more information about the NCRA A to Z Scholarship, or the NCRA A to Z Intro to Steno Machine Shorthand program, please contact the Education Department at schools@ncra.org.

NCRF is currently accepting donations to meet its 2021-2022 goal of $5,000 to fund an additional 10 scholarships. To donate to the A2Zfund, text the keyword A2ZFUND to 41444 with this message: A2ZFUND $Amount Name and Message.