2006 Mary P. Oenslager Scholastic Achievement Awards

"RFB&D has made my intellectual journey possible." Christina Chang - California

"RFB&D has made my intellectual journey possible," says Christina. Having barely passed her reading class in the third grade because she could not see the material clearly enough to participate, Christina has graduated from Stanford University with a 4.0 GPA, bachelor's degrees in English and economics, and a long term goal of becoming a social entrepreneur.

Well traveled - her journeys covered most of Europe and Asia by the time she turned seven - her experience fuelled her later desire to help her community embrace diversity. Since high school, Christina has volunteered at her local hospital and with the American Red Cross. To aid personnel at animal shelters, she founded an animal care organization. She also initiated voter registration drives after joining an Asian-American political advocacy group. Christina has further devoted time to editing community newsletters and administering constituent outreach services for her congressman.

In addition to her academic accomplishments, Christina has interned at the US Census Bureau; worked for a summer at IBM; conducted research on the housing market in Beijing, China; spent a quarter studying at Oxford University in England; and now works as a consultant.

Aside from becoming a businesswoman, Christina aims to continue writing poetry and hopes to become published one day. She is also keen to spread awareness of RFB&D's services, as she puts it, "… to share my experience with other visually impaired individuals so that they may realize their potential. RFB&D makes this happen for me."

RFB&D "…made the difference between failure and success." Thomas Hahn - Louisiana

Learning languages comes easily to Thomas. This skill helped enormously when he came to the US to study genetics - particularly the causes of gene mutation, which caused his and his sister's albinism and visual impairment.

Born in Dresden, Germany, Thomas' travels began with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. As part of an international leadership program, he toured 70 cities with 140 other students from 19 different nations. As well as performing community service and participating in a Broadway-style musical on world cultures, he acted as a translator for his castmates.

Determined to succeed academically, Thomas put in a daunting amount of study to compete with his peers. When he was introduced to RFB&D's services in high school, he says the experience "turned my life around" and "…made the difference between failure and success." His success took the form of maintaining a GPA of 3.9 at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, LA, while undertaking a double major in chemistry and biology.

Thomas' awards, memberships and community activities are numerous and varied, from Who's Who Among American High School Students, to being a member of the skiing sports club, to volunteering for a nonprofit organization in New Mexico.

As he follows his career path into the world of genetic research, Thomas says that "RFB&D will remain an indispensable part of my life by being the foundation and reason for my academic progress and success."

"It is one of my dreams that someday RFB&D can make my books available to young people who are trying to soar to their own destinies." Elizabeth Phillips - California

Described as an "intellectual all-star" by one of Stanford University's assistant professors, Elizabeth describes herself as a "learnaholic." RFB&D has helped feed her passion for knowledge with audiobooks from Dante to Darwin and Maya Angelou to Aristotle. "RFB&D has been part of my heart and soul, helping me to discover who I am and what I can become," says Elizabeth.

Making her mark on the world is crucial to Elizabeth. A survivor of Shaken Baby Syndrome, she has been totally blind since she was six months old. Elizabeth feels this has shaped her intellectual interests and social activism. Her many presentations, and radio and television interviews (including Good Morning America) have communicated her message on the rights of children and prevention of child abuse to an ever-widening audience.

Elizabeth is also an inspirational keynote speaker for organizations committed to developing policy and legislation for children, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Child Welfare League of America. In addition, as a designated "Community Hero," she ran in the 1996 Olympic Torch Relay in Atlanta.

Since graduating from Stanford University with a GPA of 3.6, Elizabeth is mapping out her future. Following her PhD from the University of Arizona, she intends to become a professor of philosophy and write books that make philosophical contributions to the world. She says, "It is one of my dreams that someday RFB&D can make my books available to young people who are trying to soar to their own destinies."