An inmate at the Washington Corrections Center is earning nationwide recognition for a skill she picked up while behind bars.

Shannon Cornelius, who is serving time for armed robbery, has distinguished herself as one of the finest braille transcriber in the country.

"I'm doing what I found I like to do, which is to help others," Cornelius said.

The Washington Corrections Center for Women has a program to help inmates become the best in the field. Shannon and the nine others transcribe into braille textbooks on history, science and math.

Retired teacher of the blind, Kay Adamson, says the work coming out of the prison is unmatched.

"They make a huge difference, and it's not just the quality of braille. We order braille from all over the U.S. And by far, this is the best braille that we get," she said.

And the best of the best is Shannon Cornelius. She just received the Library of Congress' highest national certification in braille transcription.

One other inmate received similar recognition from the Library of Congress. Robin didn't want to give her last name and didn't want to appear on Komo 4 News. But she says because of the prison's braille program, she'll be leaving a different person than the one who entered prison.

The two women both just completed six years of concentrated study and exams to achieve this honor.

In 2002, the Washington Corrections Center for Women's Braille program received the Governor's Quality Award.