Jim DeCrescenzo

Congratulations to our James DeCrescenzo Memorial Award essay contest winners!

• 1st place $2,000 is Brittany Jones (Plaza College)
• 2nd place $1,500 is Tiffany Grochowski (Lakeshore Technical College)
• 3rd place $1,000 is Liane Hatch (College of Court Reporting)

Congratulations to all the winners, and a special note to the other candidates: all the essays were very well written, making for a very difficult choice. You are all to be congratulated. Keep up the good work and welcome to the profession!

Essay Award Contest Details

The late Jim DeCrescenzo, a founder and first president of Project Steno, was one of the best champions court reporting has ever had – a dedicated professional, a relentless achiever, a lifetime volunteer, past president of the Pennsylvania Court Reporters Association, a mentor to so many.

To honor his many contributions, the members of the board and advisory council of Project Steno have personally contributed funds to establish a memorial award to be made in his name to the winner of a student essay contest.  We at Project Steno gratefully offer this tribute to a man who understood the importance of giving back.

To be eligible, applicants must be currently enrolled stenographic students who have passed a five-minute 180 wpm speed test on unfamiliar material with at least 95% accuracy.  Proof of speed is required by written confirmation from the student’s instructor (signed, dated, with the instructor’s contact information).

Applicants submited a 400-word essay on the topic The Importance of Giving Back.