The NCRF Carl Sauceda Grant opened for nominations this week in conjunction with Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The $2,000 grant is awarded annually to an NCRA member who has uplifted others, worked to influence rising court reporters or captioners in their careers, and demonstrated continuous support to growing the stenographic professions.
The grant pays tribute to Carl Sauceda, FAPR, RMR (Ret.), of Hayward, Calif., who served as NCRA President from 1999 to 2000. Sauceda’s commitment to fostering professional growth and giving back to the community remains an enduring inspiration.
The 2025 Carl Sauceda Grant was awarded to Chris DeGrazio, a freelance reporter from Fort Pierce, Fla. NCRF Trustees gave the grant to DeGrazio in recognition of his commitment to service and the profession.
“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., and one of several members who nominated DeGrazio for the award. “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.”
Sauceda shared his thoughts on being honored with a grant in his name in the February 2022 issue of the Journal of Court Reporting.
Complete grant requirements, eligibility criteria, and a nomination form may be found here. The deadline to submit a nomination is March 27.
For questions, email NCRF Director Jill Parker Landsman at jlandsman@ncra.org.
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