Melissa Vega from Postville, Iowa, awarded a $500 CASE scholarship

RESTON, Va., Aug. 3, 2021— The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), the country’s leading organization representing stenographic court reporters, captioners, and legal videographers, has announced that Melissa Vega from Postville, Iowa, a student at Anoka Technical College in Anoka, Minn., has been awarded a $500 scholarship by the Association’s Council on Approved Student Education (CASE).

The other CASE scholarships are awarded in the amounts of $1,000, $750, and $250, $500, $750.

Vega, who is writing at 180 words per minute, expects to graduate by the end of 2021, and plans to work as an official court reporter in Iowa.

“I first learned of this profession while I was working as a jailer and searching for a new career. Many jobs for this position always came up in my searches and after doing lots of research, I was sold,” Vega said

“This scholarship allows me to stay focused on working to reach 225 words per minute and not be stressed and worried about the financial strain. I am very grateful to NCRA and NCRF for this generous award. It means a lot to have this kind of support as a student. This gives me fuel and motivation when practicing gets tough,” she added.

Winners are chosen based on a weighted combination of speed, GPA, recommendations, and a written essay. This year’s essay question asked: If you were asked to provide advice on the following three topics to current students learning to write steno, what advice would you offer?

• Overcoming testing anxiety
• Dealing with frustration encountered while building skills
• Learning the best ways to practice

To be eligible to apply for an NCRA CASE student scholarship, students must meet the following criteria:

• Attend an NCRA-approved court reporting program
• Hold student membership in NCRA
• Have attained an exemplary academic record
• Have passed one skills test writing 140-180 words per minute at the time of submission

Document requirements

Candidates must also submit the following documents with their application:

• Speed verification form
• Three recommendation forms
• A copy of the student’s most recent transcript
• An essay

Notification that applications are being accepted for the CASE student scholarships is sent each February to all NCRA-approved court reporting programs. For more information on the CASE Student Scholarship, please contact the Education Department at schools@ncra.org.