Helaine D. Blumenthal
2003 Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Achievement Award
US EDUCATION SEC’Y CITES BROOKLYN RESIDENT AS STANDARD BEARER FOR ACHIEVEMENT
Blindness Does Not Slow Down Award- Winning Student
11 March, 2004 (Washington, DC) – Brooklyn, NY, resident Helaine Blumenthal was welcomed into the offices of two of Washington’s most powerful and influential policy makers today as part of the celebration of her National Achievement Award (NAA) from the national nonprofit Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic® (RFB&D®).
Helaine is one of four RFB&D NAA winners flown to Washington for receptions in the offices of US Education Secretary Rod Paige and Rep. Bill Young (R-FL), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. Helaine is the recipient of the National Achievement Award Program’s 2003 Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Achievement Award, given annually by RFB&D to college seniors with visual impairments who have demonstrated exceptional scholarship, leadership, enterprise and service to others.
“It is a privilege to meet young people of such accomplishment and character,” said Secretary Paige. “RFB&D's National Achievement Award winners are the standard bearers for achievement in education and stand as role models, not only for students with disabilities, but for every American with the desire to learn and to create.”
In eighth grade, Helaine’s eyesight began to seriously decline. She soon realized that “joining RFB&D was a matter of academic survival.” With RFB&D’s help, Helaine graduated from Edward R. Murrow High School in Brooklyn in the top one percent of her class and was an Intel Science Talent Search semifinalist.
Legally blind, she continued her education at Swarthmore College, graduating with a 3.64 GPA. Helaine earned numerous scholarships and served as president, community service coordinator and member of Swarthmore’s Jewish Student Board. Via the Upward Bound Program, she also tutored high school students from underprivileged backgrounds.
In the fall of 2001, she studied in Prague, Czech Republic. While there, she engaged in cross-cultural dialogue regarding the treatment of people with visual impairments. Outside of school, she worked for Hillels of New York/Center for Jewish Studies, as well as at the Museum of the City of New York.
Helaine hopes to attend graduate school and earn a PhD, something she says she “could not even think of doing without the knowledge and confidence that RFB&D will be there.”
RFB&D, a nonprofit organization, serves 127,000 students of all ages with a one of a kind library of 98,000 recorded textbooks and other educational materials. In New York, more than 11,000 students rely on RFB&D’s unique accommodation to access the printed page and to achieve educational success.
All of RFB&D’s accessible titles are recorded by volunteers working in 28 RFB&D recording studios nationwide, including Manhattan.
For information about RFB&D membership, volunteer or support opportunities, call the New York Unit at 212-557-5720 or visit http://www.rfbd.org.
2003 Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Achievement Award
US EDUCATION SEC’Y CITES BROOKLYN RESIDENT AS STANDARD BEARER FOR ACHIEVEMENT
Blindness Does Not Slow Down Award- Winning Student
11 March, 2004 (Washington, DC) – Brooklyn, NY, resident Helaine Blumenthal was welcomed into the offices of two of Washington’s most powerful and influential policy makers today as part of the celebration of her National Achievement Award (NAA) from the national nonprofit Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic® (RFB&D®).
Helaine is one of four RFB&D NAA winners flown to Washington for receptions in the offices of US Education Secretary Rod Paige and Rep. Bill Young (R-FL), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. Helaine is the recipient of the National Achievement Award Program’s 2003 Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Achievement Award, given annually by RFB&D to college seniors with visual impairments who have demonstrated exceptional scholarship, leadership, enterprise and service to others.
“It is a privilege to meet young people of such accomplishment and character,” said Secretary Paige. “RFB&D's National Achievement Award winners are the standard bearers for achievement in education and stand as role models, not only for students with disabilities, but for every American with the desire to learn and to create.”
In eighth grade, Helaine’s eyesight began to seriously decline. She soon realized that “joining RFB&D was a matter of academic survival.” With RFB&D’s help, Helaine graduated from Edward R. Murrow High School in Brooklyn in the top one percent of her class and was an Intel Science Talent Search semifinalist.
Legally blind, she continued her education at Swarthmore College, graduating with a 3.64 GPA. Helaine earned numerous scholarships and served as president, community service coordinator and member of Swarthmore’s Jewish Student Board. Via the Upward Bound Program, she also tutored high school students from underprivileged backgrounds.
In the fall of 2001, she studied in Prague, Czech Republic. While there, she engaged in cross-cultural dialogue regarding the treatment of people with visual impairments. Outside of school, she worked for Hillels of New York/Center for Jewish Studies, as well as at the Museum of the City of New York.
Helaine hopes to attend graduate school and earn a PhD, something she says she “could not even think of doing without the knowledge and confidence that RFB&D will be there.”
RFB&D, a nonprofit organization, serves 127,000 students of all ages with a one of a kind library of 98,000 recorded textbooks and other educational materials. In New York, more than 11,000 students rely on RFB&D’s unique accommodation to access the printed page and to achieve educational success.
All of RFB&D’s accessible titles are recorded by volunteers working in 28 RFB&D recording studios nationwide, including Manhattan.
For information about RFB&D membership, volunteer or support opportunities, call the New York Unit at 212-557-5720 or visit http://www.rfbd.org.
Helaine D. Blumenthal
2003 Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Achievement Award
US EDUCATION SEC’Y CITES BROOKLYN RESIDENT AS STANDARD BEARER FOR ACHIEVEMENT
Blindness Does Not Slow Down Award- Winning Student
11 March, 2004 (Washington, DC) – Brooklyn, NY, resident Helaine Blumenthal was welcomed into the offices of two of Washington’s most powerful and influential policy makers today as part of the celebration of her National Achievement Award (NAA) from the national nonprofit Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic® (RFB&D®).
Helaine is one of four RFB&D NAA winners flown to Washington for receptions in the offices of US Education Secretary Rod Paige and Rep. Bill Young (R-FL), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. Helaine is the recipient of the National Achievement Award Program’s 2003 Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Achievement Award, given annually by RFB&D to college seniors with visual impairments who have demonstrated exceptional scholarship, leadership, enterprise and service to others.
“It is a privilege to meet young people of such accomplishment and character,” said Secretary Paige. “RFB&D's National Achievement Award winners are the standard bearers for achievement in education and stand as role models, not only for students with disabilities, but for every American with the desire to learn and to create.”
In eighth grade, Helaine’s eyesight began to seriously decline. She soon realized that “joining RFB&D was a matter of academic survival.” With RFB&D’s help, Helaine graduated from Edward R. Murrow High School in Brooklyn in the top one percent of her class and was an Intel Science Talent Search semifinalist.
Legally blind, she continued her education at Swarthmore College, graduating with a 3.64 GPA. Helaine earned numerous scholarships and served as president, community service coordinator and member of Swarthmore’s Jewish Student Board. Via the Upward Bound Program, she also tutored high school students from underprivileged backgrounds.
In the fall of 2001, she studied in Prague, Czech Republic. While there, she engaged in cross-cultural dialogue regarding the treatment of people with visual impairments. Outside of school, she worked for Hillels of New York/Center for Jewish Studies, as well as at the Museum of the City of New York.
Helaine hopes to attend graduate school and earn a PhD, something she says she “could not even think of doing without the knowledge and confidence that RFB&D will be there.”
RFB&D, a nonprofit organization, serves 127,000 students of all ages with a one of a kind library of 98,000 recorded textbooks and other educational materials. In New York, more than 11,000 students rely on RFB&D’s unique accommodation to access the printed page and to achieve educational success.
All of RFB&D’s accessible titles are recorded by volunteers working in 28 RFB&D recording studios nationwide, including Manhattan.
For information about RFB&D membership, volunteer or support opportunities, call the New York Unit at 212-557-5720 or visit http://www.rfbd.org.
2003 Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Achievement Award
US EDUCATION SEC’Y CITES BROOKLYN RESIDENT AS STANDARD BEARER FOR ACHIEVEMENT
Blindness Does Not Slow Down Award- Winning Student
11 March, 2004 (Washington, DC) – Brooklyn, NY, resident Helaine Blumenthal was welcomed into the offices of two of Washington’s most powerful and influential policy makers today as part of the celebration of her National Achievement Award (NAA) from the national nonprofit Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic® (RFB&D®).
Helaine is one of four RFB&D NAA winners flown to Washington for receptions in the offices of US Education Secretary Rod Paige and Rep. Bill Young (R-FL), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. Helaine is the recipient of the National Achievement Award Program’s 2003 Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Achievement Award, given annually by RFB&D to college seniors with visual impairments who have demonstrated exceptional scholarship, leadership, enterprise and service to others.
“It is a privilege to meet young people of such accomplishment and character,” said Secretary Paige. “RFB&D's National Achievement Award winners are the standard bearers for achievement in education and stand as role models, not only for students with disabilities, but for every American with the desire to learn and to create.”
In eighth grade, Helaine’s eyesight began to seriously decline. She soon realized that “joining RFB&D was a matter of academic survival.” With RFB&D’s help, Helaine graduated from Edward R. Murrow High School in Brooklyn in the top one percent of her class and was an Intel Science Talent Search semifinalist.
Legally blind, she continued her education at Swarthmore College, graduating with a 3.64 GPA. Helaine earned numerous scholarships and served as president, community service coordinator and member of Swarthmore’s Jewish Student Board. Via the Upward Bound Program, she also tutored high school students from underprivileged backgrounds.
In the fall of 2001, she studied in Prague, Czech Republic. While there, she engaged in cross-cultural dialogue regarding the treatment of people with visual impairments. Outside of school, she worked for Hillels of New York/Center for Jewish Studies, as well as at the Museum of the City of New York.
Helaine hopes to attend graduate school and earn a PhD, something she says she “could not even think of doing without the knowledge and confidence that RFB&D will be there.”
RFB&D, a nonprofit organization, serves 127,000 students of all ages with a one of a kind library of 98,000 recorded textbooks and other educational materials. In New York, more than 11,000 students rely on RFB&D’s unique accommodation to access the printed page and to achieve educational success.
All of RFB&D’s accessible titles are recorded by volunteers working in 28 RFB&D recording studios nationwide, including Manhattan.
For information about RFB&D membership, volunteer or support opportunities, call the New York Unit at 212-557-5720 or visit http://www.rfbd.org.
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