53rd National Achievement Awards

Past National Achievements Awards Winners

53rd NAA Winners:   award year 2012


Marion Huber Learning Through Listening (LTL) Awards for Learning Ally members with a Learning Disability

Top Winners receiving $6,000 Scholarship Award:


Photo of Keith Amundsen

Keith Amundsen

Home Town: Staten Island, New York

Education Path: Graduated from Tottenville High School in June 2012; attending State University of New York at Oswego

Interest: Graphic Design and Management Information Systems

“Learning Ally is an enabler; it allows you to develop your potential, pursue your personal goals, and bring your dreams to reality.”

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Nathan Bouldin

Home Town: Troy, Alabama

Education Path: Graduated from Charles Henderson High School in May 2012; attending University of Alabama at Birmingham

Interest: Pre-med; Dentistry

“My success never would have happened had it not been for my parents’ unwavering belief in me, and for the assistance of having audiobooks from Learning Ally.”

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John (Jack) Greene

Home Town: Englewood, Colorado

Education Path: Graduated from Cherry Creek High School in May 2012; attending University of Colorado at Boulder

Interest: Aerospace Engineering

“I am really happy that Learning Ally gave me the confidence to be a self-advocate, and helped me succeed. I could not have had any of these things without Learning Ally recorded textbooks”

Special Honors Winners receiving $2,000 Scholarship Award:


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Stephanie AuBuchon

Home Town: Glen Ellyn, Illinois

Education Path: Graduated from Glenbard West High School in June 2012; attending Illinois Wesleyan University

Interest: Pre-med; Pediatrics

“With the help of Learning Ally, I have proved to myself that if I work hard and do not allow myself to be defined by others, I can accomplish my goals in life.”

Blair Daniel

Home Town: St. Louis, Missouri

Education Path: Graduated from Crossroads College Prep School in May 2012; attending Wellesley College

Interest: Theater/Drama, Ecology

“We, the users of Learning Ally, do not have to be defined by the way we learn differently than our peers, but rather by the differences we make in the lives around us.”

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Dylan Gully

Home Town: Andover, Massachusetts

Education Path: Graduated from Phillips Andover Academy in June 2012; attending Tufts University

Interest: Neuroscience; Law; Public Policy and Health

“I am a better student as a result of my dyslexia. With the help of Learning Ally, my confidence has grown tremendously.”

Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Achievement Awards (SAA) for Members who are Blind or Visually Impaired

Top Winners receiving $6,000 Scholarship Award:


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Brenton Fuchs

Home Town: Guilford, Connecticut

Education Path: Graduated from The American University in May 2012

Degree: B.S. in Marketing

“I hope that my work mentoring blind and visually disabled high school students will help them understand how a partner like Learning Ally can provide them with the keys for success in college as it did for me.”

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Nicole Green

Home Town: Lincoln, Nebraska

Education Path: Graduated from University of Nebraska at Lincoln in May 2012. working towards Ph.D. in English – Rhetoric and Composition at University of Nebraska at Lincoln (has completed Masters); B.A. in English Education, Psychology, and German.

Degree: Masters in English – Composition and Rhetoric

“I cannot imagine my life – personal or academic – without the support of Learning Ally, and it will undoubtedly play an invaluable role in my future academic, professional and personal life.”

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Michael Jernigan

Home Town: St. Petersburg, Florida

Education Path: Graduated from University of South Florida in May 2012

Degree: B.A. in History

Occupation: Community Outreach Coordinator for Southeastern Guide Dogs, Inc.

“I’ve learned a lot about resiliency and what it takes to come back from tragedy, and I see Learning Ally as a tool that I can use throughout my life to not only keep learning, but to read for pleasure as well.”

Special Honors Winners receiving $3,000 Scholarship Award:


Photo of Roberto Diaz

Roberto Diaz

Home Town: Naugatuck, Connecticut

Education Path: Graduated from University of Connecticut in May 2012

Interest: Majored in Social Sciences; Minored in History/Urban & Community Studies

“Learning Ally has been and is a significant and necessary tool for the procurement of academic, personal and professional success.”

Oscar Lozoya

Home Town: El Paso, Texas

Education Path: Graduated from University of Texas at El Paso in December 2011

Interest: Masters in Anthropology

“To other students who may need Learning Ally, I would advise them that reading is absolutely essential for personal and professional development, and that through such important and delightful activity, we get to better know ourselves and the world around us.”

Photo of Tara Tripathi

Tara Tripathi

Home Town: Orlando, Florida

Education Path: Graduated from University of Central Florida in May 2012

Degree: Doctorate in Text and Technology

“Learning Ally has played a very big role in my education. It was because of the vast collections of recorded texts that I was able to complete my PhD program.”

Honors Winners receiving $1,000 Scholarship Award:

Photo of Cynthia Fobbs

Cynthia Fobbs

Home Town: Houston, Texas

Education Path: Graduated from University of Houston in December 2012

Degree: Masters in Educational Psychology

“Learning Ally has provided me with the opportunity and resources to complete an undergraduate degree, and is now a major asset in the completion of my graduate courses.”

Herman Fermin

Home Town: Binghamton, New York

Education Path: Graduated from State University of New York – Purchase College in May 2012

Degree: B.A. in Studio Production

“The walls that used to hold me in are now opened because of Learning Ally. Their services have given me dignity and a passion for life and helping others.”

Deborah Byrne

Home Town: Portland, Oregon

Education Path: Graduated from University of Washington School of Law in June 2012

Interest: Juris Doctorate, Law

“There is no doubt that without the textbooks from Learning Ally, I would not have achieved my academic accomplishments. Thank you, Learning Ally, for all of the help you have provided over the years.”

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