RFB&D > LOCAL STUDENT HONORED BY NATIONAL NONPROFIT 
RECORDING FOR THE BLIND & DYSLEXIC®
AT NEW YORK CITY CELEBRATION AND WHITE HOUSE VISIT


(Princeton, NJ) — Tiffany West-Bergt, a Lincoln, Nebraska native and student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, together with five other national achievement award winners, will be honored by Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D®), at a celebratory reception at the Grande Hyatt Hotel in New York City on 19 June 2008.

Tiffany is among six students from across the country selected to receive the Top Honors awards, which includes a cash prize of $6,000. In addition to the New York reception, First Lady Laura Bush received the top award winners at The White House in February. Tiffany and the other winners met with the first lady, visited the Capitol to meet with Members of Congress and were the guests of honor at a Congressional reception held on Capitol Hill. 

With few accommodations made for her visual impairment during her early schooling, Tiffany’s sheer determination to succeed ensured that she kept pace with her classmates. 

In her third year of college, the Commission of the Blind in Lincoln, NE, introduced her to RFB&D. “Audio textbooks opened my eyes to a whole new world of learning,” says Tiffany. After hours looking closely at books “It saved me not only time, but a lot of neck and back pain as well.” 

Not only is Tiffany self-determined, she also spends considerable time helping others. In recognition of this, Tiffany was awarded the Young Women in Excellence Recognition Award. Most recently, she has contributed to Project SAFE and the Newlywed Project within the clinical psychology department at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL).

Tiffany graduated with a 3.5 GPA and a bachelor of arts in psychology from UNL. She says, “RFB&D has played a significant role in my obtaining such a high GPA …. It has made my life so much easier and enhanced my knowledge greatly.”  

Her goal is to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology and become a therapist for victims of family violence. It seems Tiffany took it to heart when her sixth grade teacher told her she did not have a disability; she only had more motivation to achieve greatness.

RFB&D has honored exceptional students since 1959 through the privately endowed Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Achievement Awards (SAA) for college seniors who are blind or visually impaired and the Marion Huber Learning Through Listening® Awards (LTL®) for high school seniors with learning disabilities, such as dyslexia. Annually, RFB&D selects and honors 15 students in recognition of their extraordinary leadership, scholarship, enterprise and service to others. Hundreds of students apply each year for these awards and are selected through a multiphase process. 

In total, more than $50,000 in prizes are awarded each year to students with print disabilities through RFB&D’s awards program. Three SAA Top Honors recipients receive a prize of $6,000; three Special Honors winners receive $3,000 and three Honors winner receive $1,000. The LTL Awards have two levels: three Top Honors receive $6,000 and three Special Honors receive $2,000.  

This year’s complete list of National Achievement Award recipients:
 

Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Achievement Awards
Top Honors
Jessie Kirchner, Guilford, CT 
Tiffany West-Bergt, Lincoln, NE 
Juliet Cody, Escondido, CA 

Special Honors
Leslie Penko, Euclid, OH 
Blake Boudreau, Deer Park, TX 
Paul Rivetti, Granada Hills, CA

Honors
Ashley Morgan, Canal Fulton, OH 
Phoebe Barkan, San Francisco, CA 
Nooria Nodrat, Long Island City, NY 
 

Marion Huber Learning Through Listening Awards
Top Honors
Daniel Steck, San Antonio, TX 
Abby Nash, Louisville, KY 
Kirsten Amling, Santa Barbara, CA 

Special Honors
Shawn Murray, Norfolk, VA 
Jonathan Naylor, Carrollton, OH 
Kathryn Bernell, Houston, TX 
 
  
About Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D): RFB&D is a nonprofit organization that relies on the generous contributions of individuals, foundations and corporations to support our programs. RFB&D serves more than 185,000 students from kindergarten through graduate school and beyond with its one-of-a-kind collection of digitally recorded educational titles. RFB&D's AudioPlus® digitally recorded textbooks on CD provide unprecedented navigation, ease of use and proven effectiveness as learning tools for students with print disabilities. 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 29 RFB&D recording studios nationwide.

For information on RFB&D, volunteering or making a donation, call toll-free 866-RFBD-585 (866-732-3585) or visit RFB&D’s accessible website at www.rfbd.org. 

# # #
RFB&D > LOCAL STUDENT HONORED BY NATIONAL NONPROFIT 
RECORDING FOR THE BLIND & DYSLEXIC®
AT NEW YORK CITY CELEBRATION AND WHITE HOUSE VISIT


(Princeton, NJ) — Juliet Cody, a resident of Escondido, California, together with five other national achievement award winners, will be honored by Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D®), at a celebratory reception at the Grande Hyatt Hotel in New York City on 19 June 2008.

Juliet is among six students from across the country selected to receive the Top Honors awards, which includes a cash prize of $6,000. In addition to the New York reception, First Lady Laura Bush received the top award winners at The White House in February. Juliet and the other winners met with the first lady, visited the Capitol to meet with Members of Congress and were the guests of honor at a Congressional reception held on Capitol Hill. 

Early in her adult life, Juliet started her own family, opened a family day care business and was successful in providing preschool enrichment programs. Not long afterward, she developed retinitis pigmentosa and quickly began to lose her eyesight. Reluctantly, she closed her center and gave thought to a new career. 

Returning to school as a student who was blind, Juliet worried about finding a reader and completing her assignments — until her rehabilitation counselor introduced her to RFB&D. She remembers “joy and relief, and, from that day on, RFB&D became my helmsman.” 

Not only did RFB&D’s audiobooks give Juliet independence, they helped her become an honors student and re-establish her confidence. In the spring of 2007, Juliet received her bachelor of arts in communication from California State University. She plans to continue her education in rehabilitation counseling. 

As well as being an excellent student, Juliet’s community support benefits various Californian chapters of organizations, including Guide Dogs for the Blind, National Federation of the Blind and the Disabilities Issues Advisory Committee, as well as many preschool and high school students and parents. In her presentations, she recommends RFB&D and comments, “As families learn about this resource, they all agree it is a blessing ….”

RFB&D has honored exceptional students since 1959 through the privately endowed Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Achievement Awards (SAA) for college seniors who are blind or visually impaired and the Marion Huber Learning Through Listening® Awards (LTL®) for high school seniors with learning disabilities, such as dyslexia. Annually, RFB&D selects and honors 15 students in recognition of their extraordinary leadership, scholarship, enterprise and service to others. Hundreds of students apply each year for these awards and are selected through a multiphase process. 

In total, more than $50,000 in prizes are awarded each year to students with print disabilities through RFB&D’s awards program. Three SAA Top Honors recipients receive a prize of $6,000; three Special Honors winners receive $3,000 and three Honors winner receive $1,000. The LTL Awards have two levels: three Top Honors receive $6,000 and three Special Honors receive $2,000.  



This year’s complete list of National Achievement Award recipients:
 

Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Achievement Awards
Top Honors
Jessie Kirchner, Guilford, CT 
Tiffany West-Bergt, Lincoln, NE 
Juliet Cody, Escondido, CA 

Special Honors
Leslie Penko, Euclid, OH 
Blake Boudreau, Deer Park, TX 
Paul Rivetti, Granada Hills, CA

Honors
Ashley Morgan, Canal Fulton, OH 
Phoebe Barkan, San Francisco, CA 
Nooria Nodrat, Long Island City, NY 
 

Marion Huber Learning Through Listening Awards
Top Honors
Daniel Steck, San Antonio, TX 
Abby Nash, Louisville, KY 
Kirsten Amling, Santa Barbara, CA 

Special Honors
Shawn Murray, Norfolk, VA 
Jonathan Naylor, Carrollton, OH 
Kathryn Bernell, Houston, TX 
 
  
About Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D): RFB&D is a nonprofit organization that relies on the generous contributions of individuals, foundations and corporations to support our programs. RFB&D serves more than 185,000 students from kindergarten through graduate school and beyond with its one-of-a-kind collection of digitally recorded educational titles. RFB&D's AudioPlus® digitally recorded textbooks on CD provide unprecedented navigation, ease of use and proven effectiveness as learning tools for students with print disabilities. 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 29 RFB&D recording studios nationwide.

For information on RFB&D, volunteering or making a donation, call toll-free 866-RFBD-585 (866-732-3585) or visit RFB&D’s accessible website at www.rfbd.org. 

# # #
RFB&D > LOCAL STUDENT HONORED BY NATIONAL NONPROFIT 
RECORDING FOR THE BLIND & DYSLEXIC®
AT NEW YORK CITY CELEBRATION AND WHITE HOUSE VISIT


 (Princeton, NJ) — Daniel Steck, a San Antonio, Texas native and student at Texas A&M University, together with five other national achievement award winners, will be honored by Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D®), at a celebratory reception at the Grande Hyatt Hotel in New York City on 19 June 2008.

Daniel is among six students from across the country selected to receive the Top Honors awards, which includes a cash prize of $6,000. In addition to the New York reception, First Lady Laura Bush received the top award winners at The White House in February. Daniel was unable to attend the Washington and New York events due to his rigorous academic schedule. 

Community service has dominated the last four years of Daniel’s life. These experiences have helped shape not only who he is, but who he hopes to become. 

Diagnosed with dyslexia in third grade, Daniel started using RFB&D’s audiobooks on a regular basis, fueling his love of reading. “RFB&D opened up this world for me. Unlike my father, who also has dyslexia, I never came to dread books, but instead saw them as doors to knowledge and adventure,” he says.

As a teen, Daniel approached life as an adventure and an opportunity to assist others, volunteering at his church, local hospital and, most predominantly through the Red Cross, helping at local flood shelters, manning first aid stations, and organizing school fundraisers and a shelter for Hurricane Katrina victims. He cooked meals and cleaned at a Ronald McDonald House, and has served in many student volunteer leadership roles as well.

Daniel is currently studying mechanical engineering at Texas A&M University, gathering the necessary prerequisites to go on to medical school. He hopes to become an interventional cardiologist, offering his services to the Red Cross in the future on medical missions.  

“When a student enjoys a subject, he or she will invariably achieve great success in it,” he says. “I hope to be able to convey to others what a difference RFB&D can make in their lives.”

RFB&D has honored exceptional students since 1959 through the privately endowed Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Achievement Awards (SAA) for college seniors who are blind or visually impaired and the Marion Huber Learning Through Listening® Awards (LTL®) for high school seniors with learning disabilities, such as dyslexia. Annually, RFB&D selects and honors 15 students in recognition of their extraordinary leadership, scholarship, enterprise and service to others. Hundreds of students apply each year for these awards and are selected through a multiphase process. 

In total, more than $50,000 in prizes are awarded each year to students with print disabilities through RFB&D’s awards program. Three SAA Top Honors recipients receive a prize of $6,000; three Special Honors winners receive $3,000 and three Honors winner receive $1,000. The LTL Awards have two levels: three Top Honors receive $6,000 and three Special Honors receive $2,000.  

This year’s complete list of National Achievement Award recipients:
 

Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Achievement Awards
Top Honors
Jessie Kirchner, Guilford, CT 
Tiffany West, Lincoln, NE 
Juliet Cody, Escondido, CA 

Special Honors
Leslie Penko, Euclid, OH 
Blake Boudreau, Deer Park, TX 
Paul Rivetti, Granada Hills, CA

Honors
Ashley Morgan, Canal Fulton, OH 
Phoebe Barkan, San Francisco, CA 
Nooria Nodrat, Long Island City, NY 
 

Marion Huber Learning Through Listening Awards
Top Honors
Daniel Steck, San Antonio, TX 
Abby Nash, Louisville, KY 
Kirsten Amling, Santa Barbara, CA 

Special Honors
Shawn Murray, Norfolk, VA 
Jonathan Naylor, Carrollton, OH 
Kathryn Bernell, Houston, TX 
 
  
About Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D): RFB&D is a nonprofit organization that relies on the generous contributions of individuals, foundations and corporations to support our programs. RFB&D serves more than 185,000 students from kindergarten through graduate school and beyond with its one-of-a-kind collection of digitally recorded educational titles. RFB&D's AudioPlus® digitally recorded textbooks on CD provide unprecedented navigation, ease of use and proven effectiveness as learning tools for students with print disabilities. 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 29 RFB&D recording studios nationwide.

For information on RFB&D, volunteering or making a donation, call toll-free 866-RFBD-585 (866-732-3585) or visit RFB&D’s accessible website at www.rfbd.org. 

# # #
RFB&D > OCAL STUDENT HONORED BY NATIONAL NONPROFIT 
RECORDING FOR THE BLIND & DYSLEXIC®
AT NEW YORK CITY CELEBRATION AND WHITE HOUSE VISIT


(Princeton, NJ) — Jessie Kirchner, a Gilford, Connecticut native and student at the University if Michigan, together with five other national achievement award winners, will be honored by Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D®), at a celebratory reception at the Grande Hyatt Hotel in New York City on 19 June 2008.

Jessie is among six students from across the country selected to receive the Top Honors awards, which includes a cash prize of $6,000. In addition to the New York reception, First Lady Laura Bush received the top award winners at The White House in February. Jessie and the other winners met with the first lady, visited the Capitol to meet with Members of Congress and were the guests of honor at a Congressional reception held on Capitol Hill. 

Jessie, one of four surviving quintuplets, was the first child who was blind to be mainstreamed in her public school. With the help of assistive technology, she excelled through her early school years. Of RFB&D’s audiobooks, Jessie comments, “There came a time during high school when I couldn’t imagine being without them. RFB&D’s books were indispensable to me.”

 

In high school, Jessie performed in bands and choirs and as a church soloist. She also advocated on behalf of the blindness community, testifying before the U.S. Senate about the benefits of a bill that would give students who are blind access to textbooks simultaneously with their sighted classmates.

 

During Jessie’s studies at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA, a restorative justice internship in the Minnesota Department of Corrections helped reinforce her decision to work with crime victims, offenders, their families and communities.

 

Jessie graduated with a GPA of 3.71 and is currently pursuing a joint degree in law and social work at the University of Michigan. She believes that RFB&D has helped give her a “superior academic and extracurricular education. I hope to use my education and skills for lasting community improvement and social change on local and perhaps even national levels,” she says.

 
RFB&D has honored exceptional students since 1959 through the privately endowed Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Achievement Awards (SAA) for college seniors who are blind or visually impaired and the Marion Huber Learning Through Listening® Awards (LTL®) for high school seniors with learning disabilities, such as dyslexia. Annually, RFB&D selects and honors 15 students in recognition of their extraordinary leadership, scholarship, enterprise and service to others. Hundreds of students apply each year for these awards and are selected through a multiphase process. 

In total, more than $50,000 in prizes are awarded each year to students with print disabilities through RFB&D’s awards program. Three SAA Top Honors recipients receive a prize of $6,000; three Special Honors winners receive $3,000 and three Honors winner receive $1,000. The LTL Awards have two levels: three Top Honors receive $6,000 and three Special Honors receive $2,000.  

This year’s complete list of National Achievement Award recipients:
 

Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Achievement Awards
Top Honors
Jessie Kirchner, Guilford, CT 
Tiffany West-Bergt, Lincoln, NE 
Juliet Cody, Escondido, CA 

Special Honors
Leslie Penko, Euclid, OH 
Blake Boudreau, Deer Park, TX 
Paul Rivetti, Granada Hills, CA

Honors
Ashley Morgan, Canal Fulton, OH 
Phoebe Barkan, San Francisco, CA 
Nooria Nodrat, Long Island City, NY 
 

Marion Huber Learning Through Listening Awards
Top Honors
Daniel Steck, San Antonio, TX 
Abby Nash, Louisville, KY 
Kirsten Amling, Santa Barbara, CA 

Special Honors
Shawn Murray, Norfolk, VA 
Jonathan Naylor, Carrollton, OH 
Kathryn Bernell, Houston, TX 
 
  
About Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D): RFB&D is a nonprofit organization that relies on the generous contributions of individuals, foundations and corporations to support our programs. RFB&D serves more than 185,000 students from kindergarten through graduate school and beyond with its one-of-a-kind collection of digitally recorded educational titles. RFB&D's AudioPlus® digitally recorded textbooks on CD provide unprecedented navigation, ease of use and proven effectiveness as learning tools for students with print disabilities. 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 29 RFB&D recording studios nationwide.

For information on RFB&D, volunteering or making a donation, call toll-free 866-RFBD-585 (866-732-3585) or visit RFB&D’s accessible website at www.rfbd.org. 

# # #
RFB&D > LOCAL STUDENT HONORED BY NATIONAL NONPROFIT 
RECORDING FOR THE BLIND & DYSLEXIC®
AT NEW YORK CITY CELEBRATION AND WHITE HOUSE VISIT


(Princeton, NJ) — Kristen Amling, a Santa Barbara, CA native, now attending Bryan College in Tennessee, together with five other national achievement award winners, will be honored by Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D®), at a celebratory reception at the Grande Hyatt Hotel in New York City on 19 June 2008.

Kristen is among six students from across the country selected to receive the Top Honors awards, which includes a cash prize of $6,000. In addition to the New York reception, First Lady Laura Bush received the top award winners at The White House in February. Kristen and the other winners met with the first lady, visited the Capitol to meet with Members of Congress and were the guests of honor at a Congressional reception held on Capitol Hill. 

Kirsten, like many RFB&D members, spent many of her early years longing to be considered “normal.” She says she developed a passion for ballet dancing as a way to express herself freely without “being encumbered by words.”

“My silent struggle to hide my slow learning made me feel inferior and stupid,” she says. In school, memorizing things to pretend comprehension was only a temporary mask for hiding her learning problems. Specialists later diagnosed Kirsten with dyslexia, but told her parents she would outgrow it. Her father, knew differently, and when Kirsten’s school offered limited tutoring as an accommodation, her parents chose home schooling as an alternative.

Kirsten excelled because her parents provided the additional accommodations she needed. In high school, when friends enrolled in a college-level class offered at a local university to honors students, Kirsten decided to try it out also. Asking her parents for outside assistance, they sought the help of a doctor specialized in learning disabilities who in turn introduced Kirsten to RFB&D.

Listening to RFB&D’s audio textbooks has given Kirsten a whole new sense of independence and success, which in turn gave her the confidence to apply and get accepted to Bryan College in Tennessee.

In addition to Kirsten’s academic pursuits, Kirsten provided a home for a guide dog puppy for 18 months, assisted in organizing and placing 500 children on soccer teams through the American Youth Soccer Organization and through her church, participated in a mission trip to Fiji, where she helped organize and run a basketball clinic, distributed wheelchairs and visited hospitals and retirement homes.

Regarding her dyslexia, Kirsten waxes philosophic. “I am continually surprised at how many people struggle with reading … and the number of adults who have stopped learning because they are dyslexic. I came to realize that I am not dumb; I just need different learning tools … and in hindsight, I can honestly say that I am glad I am not an ‘average American teenager.’”

RFB&D has honored exceptional students since 1959 through the privately endowed Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Achievement Awards (SAA) for college seniors who are blind or visually impaired and the Marion Huber Learning Through Listening® Awards (LTL®) for high school seniors with learning disabilities, such as dyslexia. Annually, RFB&D selects and honors 15 students in recognition of their extraordinary leadership, scholarship, enterprise and service to others. Hundreds of students apply each year for these awards and are selected through a multiphase process. 

In total, more than $50,000 in prizes are awarded each year to students with print disabilities through RFB&D’s awards program. Three SAA Top Honors recipients receive a prize of $6,000; three Special Honors winners receive $3,000 and three Honors winner receive $1,000. The LTL Awards have two levels: three Top Honors receive $6,000 and three Special Honors receive $2,000.  

This year’s complete list of National Achievement Award recipients:
 

Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Achievement Awards
Top Honors
Jessie Kirchner, Guilford, CT 
Tiffany West-Bergt, Lincoln, NE 
Juliet Cody, Escondido, CA 

Special Honors
Leslie Penko, Euclid, OH 
Blake Boudreau, Deer Park, TX 
Paul Rivetti, Granada Hills, CA

Honors
Ashley Morgan, Canal Fulton, OH 
Phoebe Barkan, San Francisco, CA 
Nooria Nodrat, Long Island City, NY 
 

Marion Huber Learning Through Listening Awards
Top Honors
Daniel Steck, San Antonio, TX 
Abby Nash, Louisville, KY 
Kirsten Amling, Santa Barbara, CA 

Special Honors
Shawn Murray, Norfolk, VA 
Jonathan Naylor, Carrollton, OH 
Kathryn Bernell, Houston, TX 
 
  
About Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D): RFB&D is a nonprofit organization that relies on the generous contributions of individuals, foundations and corporations to support our programs. RFB&D serves more than 185,000 students from kindergarten through graduate school and beyond with its one-of-a-kind collection of digitally recorded educational titles. RFB&D's AudioPlus® digitally recorded textbooks on CD provide unprecedented navigation, ease of use and proven effectiveness as learning tools for students with print disabilities. 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 29 RFB&D recording studios nationwide.

For information on RFB&D, volunteering or making a donation, call toll-free 866-RFBD-585 (866-732-3585) or visit RFB&D’s accessible website at www.rfbd.org. 

# # #
RFB&D > LOCAL STUDENT HONORED BY NATIONAL NONPROFIT 
RECORDING FOR THE BLIND & DYSLEXIC®
AT NEW YORK CITY CELEBRATION AND WHITE HOUSE VISIT


(Princeton, NJ) — Abby Nash, a native of Louisville, Kentucky now attending Hanover College in Indiana , together with five other national achievement award winners, will be honored by Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D®), at a celebratory reception at the Grande Hyatt Hotel in New York City on 19 June 2008.

Abby is among six students from across the country selected to receive the Top Honors awards, which includes a cash prize of $6,000. In addition to the New York reception, First Lady Laura Bush received the top award winners at The White House in February. Abby and the other winners met with the first lady, visited the Capitol to meet with Members of Congress and were the guests of honor at a Congressional reception held on Capitol Hill. 

Abby’s pregnancy was difficult and the Nash’s faced challenges, but in the end, Abby was delivered a healthy baby girl. It wasn’t until high school that Abby was formally diagnosed with a Central Auditory Processing disorder, which she considers to be a “minor setback.” “I’ve made sure I have not let it stop me from doing the things I love,” she says. She also acknowledges the impact of RFB&D and comments that it has made “such a difference in my life and has contributed to my success ….”

A glance at this young woman’s résumé reveals that Abby loves leading a full and busy life! She served four years on her high school’s student government, including two years as President, and one year as the captain of her school’s field hockey team. She has participated in fundraisers, volunteered for the local hospice and Special Olympics, was a member of the Student Activities Committee, and has been an active member of the National Honor Society for two years. Abby has nine academic and leadership awards to her credit and is considering becoming a special education teacher. She is currently enrolled at Hanover College in Hanover, Indiana.

“I know the struggles I have faced in my life are not anywhere close to what others have, but I have made my situation work for me to the best of my ability,” she says. “I want to give back to the community so I can show others how to make the difficulties they face a motivator for them.”

RFB&D has honored exceptional students since 1959 through the privately endowed Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Achievement Awards (SAA) for college seniors who are blind or visually impaired and the Marion Huber Learning Through Listening® Awards (LTL®) for high school seniors with learning disabilities, such as dyslexia. Annually, RFB&D selects and honors 15 students in recognition of their extraordinary leadership, scholarship, enterprise and service to others. Hundreds of students apply each year for these awards and are selected through a multiphase process. 

In total, more than $50,000 in prizes are awarded each year to students with print disabilities through RFB&D’s awards program. Three SAA Top Honors recipients receive a prize of $6,000; three Special Honors winners receive $3,000 and three Honors winner receive $1,000. The LTL Awards have two levels: three Top Honors receive $6,000 and three Special Honors receive $2,000.  



This year’s complete list of National Achievement Award recipients:
 
Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Achievement Awards
Top Honors
Jessie Kirchner, Guilford, CT 
Tiffany West-Bergt, Lincoln, NE 
Juliet Cody, Escondido, CA 

Special Honors
Leslie Penko, Euclid, OH 
Blake Boudreau, Deer Park, TX 
Paul Rivetti, Granada Hills, CA

Honors
Ashley Morgan, Canal Fulton, OH 
Phoebe Barkan, San Francisco, CA 
Nooria Nodrat, Long Island City, NY 
 

Marion Huber Learning Through Listening Awards
Top Honors
Daniel Steck, San Antonio, TX 
Abby Nash, Louisville, KY 
Kirsten Amling, Santa Barbara, CA 

Special Honors
Shawn Murray, Norfolk, VA 
Jonathan Naylor, Carrollton, OH 
Kathryn Bernell, Houston, TX 
 
  
About Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D): RFB&D is a nonprofit organization that relies on the generous contributions of individuals, foundations and corporations to support our programs. RFB&D serves more than 185,000 students from kindergarten through graduate school and beyond with its one-of-a-kind collection of digitally recorded educational titles. RFB&D's AudioPlus® digitally recorded textbooks on CD provide unprecedented navigation, ease of use and proven effectiveness as learning tools for students with print disabilities. 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 29 RFB&D recording studios nationwide.

For information on RFB&D, volunteering or making a donation, call toll-free 866-RFBD-585 (866-732-3585) or visit RFB&D’s accessible website at www.rfbd.org. 

# # #
RFB&D > (left to right) Tom Strohmeir, RFB&D's Kentucky Unit Vice President; Patrick John Hughes, Honorary Co-chair of the Race to Record and father of Patrick Henry; Patrick Henry Hughes, Honorary Co-chair of the Race to Record and RFB&D member; Sarah Trestor, Executive Director, RFB&D's Kentucky Unit.
RFB&D > (l to r) Jessie Kirchner, SAA winner, Richard Cox, Chair, RFB&D National Board of Directors, John Kelly, RFB&D President and CEO.
RFB&D > (l to r) Juliet Cody SAA winner, Richard Cox, Chair, RFB&D National Board of Directors, John Kelly, RFB&D President and CEO.
LOCAL STUDENT HONORED BY NATIONAL NONPROFIT
RECORDING FOR THE BLIND & DYSLEXIC®
AT NEW YORK CITY CELEBRATION AND WHITE HOUSE VISIT


(Princeton, NJ) — Tiffany West-Bergt, a Lincoln, Nebraska native and student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, together with five other national achievement award winners, will be honored by Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D®), at a celebratory reception at the Grande Hyatt Hotel in New York City on 19 June 2008.

Tiffany is among six students from across the country selected to receive the Top Honors awards, which includes a cash prize of $6,000. In addition to the New York reception, First Lady Laura Bush received the top award winners at The White House in February. Tiffany and the other winners met with the first lady, visited the Capitol to meet with Members of Congress and were the guests of honor at a Congressional reception held on Capitol Hill.

With few accommodations made for her visual impairment during her early schooling, Tiffany’s sheer determination to succeed ensured that she kept pace with her classmates.

In her third year of college, the Commission of the Blind in Lincoln, NE, introduced her to RFB&D. “Audio textbooks opened my eyes to a whole new world of learning,” says Tiffany. After hours looking closely at books “It saved me not only time, but a lot of neck and back pain as well.”

Not only is Tiffany self-determined, she also spends considerable time helping others. In recognition of this, Tiffany was awarded the Young Women in Excellence Recognition Award. Most recently, she has contributed to Project SAFE and the Newlywed Project within the clinical psychology department at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL).

Tiffany graduated with a 3.5 GPA and a bachelor of arts in psychology from UNL. She says, “RFB&D has played a significant role in my obtaining such a high GPA …. It has made my life so much easier and enhanced my knowledge greatly.”

Her goal is to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology and become a therapist for victims of family violence. It seems Tiffany took it to heart when her sixth grade teacher told her she did not have a disability; she only had more motivation to achieve greatness.

RFB&D has honored exceptional students since 1959 through the privately endowed Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Achievement Awards (SAA) for college seniors who are blind or visually impaired and the Marion Huber Learning Through Listening® Awards (LTL®) for high school seniors with learning disabilities, such as dyslexia. Annually, RFB&D selects and honors 15 students in recognition of their extraordinary leadership, scholarship, enterprise and service to others. Hundreds of students apply each year for these awards and are selected through a multiphase process.

In total, more than $50,000 in prizes are awarded each year to students with print disabilities through RFB&D’s awards program. Three SAA Top Honors recipients receive a prize of $6,000; three Special Honors winners receive $3,000 and three Honors winner receive $1,000. The LTL Awards have two levels: three Top Honors receive $6,000 and three Special Honors receive $2,000.

This year’s complete list of National Achievement Award recipients:


Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Achievement Awards
Top Honors
Jessie Kirchner, Guilford, CT
Tiffany West-Bergt, Lincoln, NE
Juliet Cody, Escondido, CA

Special Honors
Leslie Penko, Euclid, OH
Blake Boudreau, Deer Park, TX
Paul Rivetti, Granada Hills, CA

Honors
Ashley Morgan, Canal Fulton, OH
Phoebe Barkan, San Francisco, CA
Nooria Nodrat, Long Island City, NY


Marion Huber Learning Through Listening Awards
Top Honors
Daniel Steck, San Antonio, TX
Abby Nash, Louisville, KY
Kirsten Amling, Santa Barbara, CA

Special Honors
Shawn Murray, Norfolk, VA
Jonathan Naylor, Carrollton, OH
Kathryn Bernell, Houston, TX


About Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D): RFB&D is a nonprofit organization that relies on the generous contributions of individuals, foundations and corporations to support our programs. RFB&D serves more than 185,000 students from kindergarten through graduate school and beyond with its one-of-a-kind collection of digitally recorded educational titles. RFB&D's AudioPlus® digitally recorded textbooks on CD provide unprecedented navigation, ease of use and proven effectiveness as learning tools for students with print disabilities. 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 29 RFB&D recording studios nationwide.

For information on RFB&D, volunteering or making a donation, call toll-free 866-RFBD-585 (866-732-3585) or visit RFB&D’s accessible website at http://www.rfbd.org.

# # #
RFB&D > LOCAL STUDENT HONORED BY NATIONAL NONPROFIT 
RECORDING FOR THE BLIND & DYSLEXIC®
AT NEW YORK CITY CELEBRATION AND WHITE HOUSE VISIT


(Princeton, NJ) — Tiffany West-Bergt, a Lincoln, Nebraska native and student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, together with five other national achievement award winners, will be honored by Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D®), at a celebratory reception at the Grande Hyatt Hotel in New York City on 19 June 2008.

Tiffany is among six students from across the country selected to receive the Top Honors awards, which includes a cash prize of $6,000. In addition to the New York reception, First Lady Laura Bush received the top award winners at The White House in February. Tiffany and the other winners met with the first lady, visited the Capitol to meet with Members of Congress and were the guests of honor at a Congressional reception held on Capitol Hill. 

With few accommodations made for her visual impairment during her early schooling, Tiffany’s sheer determination to succeed ensured that she kept pace with her classmates. 

In her third year of college, the Commission of the Blind in Lincoln, NE, introduced her to RFB&D. “Audio textbooks opened my eyes to a whole new world of learning,” says Tiffany. After hours looking closely at books “It saved me not only time, but a lot of neck and back pain as well.” 

Not only is Tiffany self-determined, she also spends considerable time helping others. In recognition of this, Tiffany was awarded the Young Women in Excellence Recognition Award. Most recently, she has contributed to Project SAFE and the Newlywed Project within the clinical psychology department at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL).

Tiffany graduated with a 3.5 GPA and a bachelor of arts in psychology from UNL. She says, “RFB&D has played a significant role in my obtaining such a high GPA …. It has made my life so much easier and enhanced my knowledge greatly.”  

Her goal is to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology and become a therapist for victims of family violence. It seems Tiffany took it to heart when her sixth grade teacher told her she did not have a disability; she only had more motivation to achieve greatness.

RFB&D has honored exceptional students since 1959 through the privately endowed Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Achievement Awards (SAA) for college seniors who are blind or visually impaired and the Marion Huber Learning Through Listening® Awards (LTL®) for high school seniors with learning disabilities, such as dyslexia. Annually, RFB&D selects and honors 15 students in recognition of their extraordinary leadership, scholarship, enterprise and service to others. Hundreds of students apply each year for these awards and are selected through a multiphase process. 

In total, more than $50,000 in prizes are awarded each year to students with print disabilities through RFB&D’s awards program. Three SAA Top Honors recipients receive a prize of $6,000; three Special Honors winners receive $3,000 and three Honors winner receive $1,000. The LTL Awards have two levels: three Top Honors receive $6,000 and three Special Honors receive $2,000.  

This year’s complete list of National Achievement Award recipients:
 

Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Achievement Awards
Top Honors
Jessie Kirchner, Guilford, CT 
Tiffany West-Bergt, Lincoln, NE 
Juliet Cody, Escondido, CA 

Special Honors
Leslie Penko, Euclid, OH 
Blake Boudreau, Deer Park, TX 
Paul Rivetti, Granada Hills, CA

Honors
Ashley Morgan, Canal Fulton, OH 
Phoebe Barkan, San Francisco, CA 
Nooria Nodrat, Long Island City, NY 
 

Marion Huber Learning Through Listening Awards
Top Honors
Daniel Steck, San Antonio, TX 
Abby Nash, Louisville, KY 
Kirsten Amling, Santa Barbara, CA 

Special Honors
Shawn Murray, Norfolk, VA 
Jonathan Naylor, Carrollton, OH 
Kathryn Bernell, Houston, TX 
 
  
About Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D): RFB&D is a nonprofit organization that relies on the generous contributions of individuals, foundations and corporations to support our programs. RFB&D serves more than 185,000 students from kindergarten through graduate school and beyond with its one-of-a-kind collection of digitally recorded educational titles. RFB&D's AudioPlus® digitally recorded textbooks on CD provide unprecedented navigation, ease of use and proven effectiveness as learning tools for students with print disabilities. 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 29 RFB&D recording studios nationwide.

For information on RFB&D, volunteering or making a donation, call toll-free 866-RFBD-585 (866-732-3585) or visit RFB&D’s accessible website at www.rfbd.org. 

# # #
LOCAL STUDENT HONORED BY NATIONAL NONPROFIT
RECORDING FOR THE BLIND & DYSLEXIC®
AT NEW YORK CITY CELEBRATION AND WHITE HOUSE VISIT


(Princeton, NJ) — Tiffany West-Bergt, a Lincoln, Nebraska native and student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, together with five other national achievement award winners, will be honored by Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D®), at a celebratory reception at the Grande Hyatt Hotel in New York City on 19 June 2008.

Tiffany is among six students from across the country selected to receive the Top Honors awards, which includes a cash prize of $6,000. In addition to the New York reception, First Lady Laura Bush received the top award winners at The White House in February. Tiffany and the other winners met with the first lady, visited the Capitol to meet with Members of Congress and were the guests of honor at a Congressional reception held on Capitol Hill.

With few accommodations made for her visual impairment during her early schooling, Tiffany’s sheer determination to succeed ensured that she kept pace with her classmates.

In her third year of college, the Commission of the Blind in Lincoln, NE, introduced her to RFB&D. “Audio textbooks opened my eyes to a whole new world of learning,” says Tiffany. After hours looking closely at books “It saved me not only time, but a lot of neck and back pain as well.”

Not only is Tiffany self-determined, she also spends considerable time helping others. In recognition of this, Tiffany was awarded the Young Women in Excellence Recognition Award. Most recently, she has contributed to Project SAFE and the Newlywed Project within the clinical psychology department at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL).

Tiffany graduated with a 3.5 GPA and a bachelor of arts in psychology from UNL. She says, “RFB&D has played a significant role in my obtaining such a high GPA …. It has made my life so much easier and enhanced my knowledge greatly.”

Her goal is to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology and become a therapist for victims of family violence. It seems Tiffany took it to heart when her sixth grade teacher told her she did not have a disability; she only had more motivation to achieve greatness.

RFB&D has honored exceptional students since 1959 through the privately endowed Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Achievement Awards (SAA) for college seniors who are blind or visually impaired and the Marion Huber Learning Through Listening® Awards (LTL®) for high school seniors with learning disabilities, such as dyslexia. Annually, RFB&D selects and honors 15 students in recognition of their extraordinary leadership, scholarship, enterprise and service to others. Hundreds of students apply each year for these awards and are selected through a multiphase process.

In total, more than $50,000 in prizes are awarded each year to students with print disabilities through RFB&D’s awards program. Three SAA Top Honors recipients receive a prize of $6,000; three Special Honors winners receive $3,000 and three Honors winner receive $1,000. The LTL Awards have two levels: three Top Honors receive $6,000 and three Special Honors receive $2,000.

This year’s complete list of National Achievement Award recipients:


Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Achievement Awards
Top Honors
Jessie Kirchner, Guilford, CT
Tiffany West-Bergt, Lincoln, NE
Juliet Cody, Escondido, CA

Special Honors
Leslie Penko, Euclid, OH
Blake Boudreau, Deer Park, TX
Paul Rivetti, Granada Hills, CA

Honors
Ashley Morgan, Canal Fulton, OH
Phoebe Barkan, San Francisco, CA
Nooria Nodrat, Long Island City, NY


Marion Huber Learning Through Listening Awards
Top Honors
Daniel Steck, San Antonio, TX
Abby Nash, Louisville, KY
Kirsten Amling, Santa Barbara, CA

Special Honors
Shawn Murray, Norfolk, VA
Jonathan Naylor, Carrollton, OH
Kathryn Bernell, Houston, TX


About Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D): RFB&D is a nonprofit organization that relies on the generous contributions of individuals, foundations and corporations to support our programs. RFB&D serves more than 185,000 students from kindergarten through graduate school and beyond with its one-of-a-kind collection of digitally recorded educational titles. RFB&D's AudioPlus® digitally recorded textbooks on CD provide unprecedented navigation, ease of use and proven effectiveness as learning tools for students with print disabilities. 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 29 RFB&D recording studios nationwide.

For information on RFB&D, volunteering or making a donation, call toll-free 866-RFBD-585 (866-732-3585) or visit RFB&D’s accessible website at http://www.rfbd.org.

# # #
See photo in gallery