Carl Sauceda photo

"After having served as an official court reporter in the courtroom for more than 45 years, I felt that I was one of the most fortunate persons in the world to embrace the profession of court reporting, a career that I enjoyed tremendously. My becoming a court reporter introduced a world to me that I would have never known."

Carl Sauceda, FAPR, RMR (Ret.)

Donate to the Carl Sauceda Grant fundraiser

Donate to the Carl Sauceda Grant fundraiser to support the annual grant that honors his legacy and ambassadorship for court reporting.

Donate to fundraiser
Home / The Profession / Scholarships and Grants / Carl Sauceda Grant

Carl Sauceda Grant

Nominations open March 2027

Overview

The Carl Sauceda Grant is offered through the National Court Reporters Foundation (NCRF). The annual $2,000 grant will be awarded to an NCRA member who is a court reporter or captioner and who has shared his or her knowledge by either helping to build a mentoring network, assisting others to advance their skills, or providing a comparable learning activity.

Carl Sauceda, FAPR, RMR (Ret.), of Hayward, Calif., was elected to serve as the National Court Reporters Association President from 1999 to 2000, but his legacy of giving back to others carries on today. Read more on TheJCR.com.

One grant award: $2,000

Grant requirements

Eligibility criteria

Members must meet the eligibility requirements and submit the completed documentation listed below to qualify for the grant.

  • The nominee must be an NCRA member in good standing.
  • The nominee must be either actively involved in the court reporting or captioning arena or have been actively engaged in working in court reporting or captioning within the previous year.
  • The nominee must have demonstrated excellence in the field by: Work history; dedication to the advancement of the profession; volunteerism; education; and/or support of the profession in an exemplary way.
  • Self-nominations are permitted with appropriate documentation.
  • The nominee must have shown through leadership, training, support, and/or education, the ability to motivate and encourage and inspire others in the field. Documentation for this can be self-reported and confirmed by a third-party to verify information.
  • The nominee must have demonstrated a consistent desire to improve the culture, spirit, and perception of the court reporting and captioning field through community outreach, personal interaction, and professional team building.

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 pages: Include the applicant's name and the essay topic on each page of the essay.

Complete the online application and submit the required documents below. If you do not see the application, the application period is closed.

  • Completed Carl Sauceda Grant Nomination Form (online form below)
  • Nomination letter: 300-350 words, double-spaced, with nominator full name on each page.
    (Topic: Explain why you believe the nominee should be considered for this grant, and how their proposed project or effort is related to helping today's and tomorrow's court reporting and/or captioning community.)
  • Evidence of the event, activity, or program that the applicant/nominee hosted. Photographs, testimonials of attendees, blogposts, and writeups are all evidence of the noted activity.
  • For self-nominations: At least one other person must corroborate in writing that the event, activity, or program did take place to corroborate the nominee’s outreach. The audience must be identified as well.

Reminder: Files without the applicant's name in the file name will not be reviewed.

Grant recipients

  • 2026: Brynn Reynolds Seymour, White Plains, N.Y.
  • 2025: Chris DeGrazio, Fort Pierce, Fla.
  • 2024: Denee’ Vadell, RPR, Edison, N.J.
  • 2023: First place: Kimberly Xavier, RDR, CRR, CRC, CMRS, CRI, Arlington, Texas
  • 2023: Second place: Stacy L. Drohosky, RMR, CRR, CRI, Hammond, Ind.
  • 2023: Second place: Erminia Uviedo, RDR, CRR, CRC, San Antonio, Texas
  • 2022: Margary Rogers, RPR, CRI, Washington, D.C.

Contact

For more information on this and other Foundation scholarships, please contact NCRF at ncrfoundation@ncra.org.