The National Court Reporters Foundation presented the Carl Sauceda Grant in the amount of $2,000 to Chris DeGrazio, a freelance court reporter from Fort Pierce, Fla. The announcement was made at a special awards luncheon at the 2025 NCRA Conference & Expo held July 24-26 in Minneapolis, Minn.
The grant goes to a court reporter or captioner who elevates the profession by impacting and teaching others and honors Sauceda, FAPR, RMR (Ret.), of Hayward, Calif., who served as NCRA President from 1999 to 2000 and continues a legacy of giving back to others.
The grant was awarded to DeGrazio by NCRF Trustees in recognition of his promoting the profession to others, the influence he has had in the lives of rising court reporters and captioners, and his continuous commitment to supporting the stenographic court reporting and captioning professions.
A graduate of Bryan University in California, DeGrazio holds an associate’s degree in court reporting. He began his career as a freelance court reporter in 2020 and currently works for two agencies. He is also pursuing the nationally recognized professional certification of Registered Professional Reporter (RPR).
At the national level, DeGrazio has served on NCRA’s Public Relations and Outreach task forces, and currently chairs the Membership, Marketing & Outreach Committee. He also serves as a member of NCRA’s DE&I Committee and the New Professionals Advisory and New Professionals Veterans Liaison Committees. He has also presented at NCRA’s Conference & Expo, as well as at state associations on the topics of social media and best practices for promoting the profession.
DeGrazio is passionate about promoting the profession and has spearheaded numerous activities to highlight the value of the stenographic court reporting and captioning professions, as well as developed programs designed to engage new students to support and mentor them. Among the activities DeGrazio has been involved in include Holiday Student Giveaways, participating in live webinars specifically for students and new professionals, student giveaways at NCRA Conferences, Steno Pride and Steno Karaoke events, and virtual practice groups. Along with court reporting student Vanessa Johns from Louisville, Ky., DeGrazio also created the Steno Study Buddies Facebook group as a platform for students and professionals to find practice groups.
“Chris is an exceptional mentor and advocate for future students,” wrote Johns in her letter of nomination to the NCRF Trustees. “His passion is most evident in his presence and participation in numerous Facebook groups. He hosts a 90-day testing Challenge group where he has challenged and encouraged dozens of students and reporters to pass speed tests and earn NCRA certifications.”
Joshua Edwards, RDR, CRR, CRC, a CART captioner and court reporter from New York, N.Y., and founder of the group Steno Masters, called DeGrazio one of the most active volunteers in NCRA. “Every time I check in with him, he is working on some new association-related project,” he wrote in a letter nominating DeGrazio for the award. “By volunteering his time to strive to create a more inclusive community, Chris is improving the culture and spirit of the field,” Edwards added.
“Chris has set the bar high when it comes to volunteering,” wrote Amie R. First, RDR, CRR, CRC, CPE, an official court reporter and CART captioner from Orlando, Fla. “Chris is continually developing his leadership skills, and this is exactly what is needed in our profession. He is a social media influencer, and his posts keep me up to date on events. In the short period of time that Chris has been a professional, he has put forth a tremendous amount of energy and creativity in advancing our profession. Simply put, I cannot think of a more deserving person for this prestigious award.”
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