Cerritos College Student Receives Eula Mae Jett Scholarship

Blindness is No Hindrance for the Dedicated Court Reporting Student

For Immediate Release: February 27, 2008

Media Contact:Aya Abelon Public Affairs; (562) 860-2451, ext. 2287

NORWALK, CA – February 27, 2008 – Diana Michel, court reporting major at Cerritos College and a resident of Long Beach, has been awarded a $500 scholarship from Long Beach Legal Secretaries Association (LBLSA).

Michel hopes to become a deposition reporter and has been volunteering at the Braille Institute, helping people with visual impairments. "I was shocked to receive the scholarship," she said, "because I was not expecting to win it at all." She is planning to use the scholarship to purchase equipment necessary to participate in the program, such as a steno machine.

“Diana is an upbeat student that views her disability not as a handicap, rather an aspect of her individuality,” said Micki England, Court Reporting Club Advisor. “We are confident she will succeed and aim to help her anyway we can. She is truly an inspiration to us all.”

Named after the founder of LBLSA, Eula Mae Jett, this scholarship was established to help those that are interested in a career in the legal field. The association awards one scholarship annually to a currently enrolled student who is working on a career in the legal field with at least one year of classes completed.

“We are quite pleased to present Diana with the scholarship,” said the association representative Cathleen McGrath Siler. “Throughout the year, LBLSA hosts various fundraising events from which the proceeds will benefit students like Diana.”

Long Beach Legal Secretaries Association is dedicated to the education of its members and others in the legal profession. Eula Mae Jett and her friends started the association so secretaries could share new court rules and exchange information to keep current in 1929. As a result, there are now associations all over the United States and they all give credit to Eula Mae Jett for starting the whole process. Visit LBLSA online at http://mylblsa.org.

Cerritos College serves as a comprehensive community college for southeastern Los Angeles County. Communities within the college’s district include Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, Downey, Hawaiian Gardens, La Mirada, Norwalk, and portions of Bell Gardens, Lakewood, Long Beach, Santa Fe Springs and South Gate. Cerritos College offers degrees and certificates in more than 200 areas of study in nine divisions. Annually, more than 1,200 students successfully complete their course of studies, and enrollment currently nears 20,000 students. Visit Cerritos College online at www.cerritos.edu.

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