By Molly Cooper
The learning curve that we all go through as new reporters became more like a roller coaster this year, but that didn’t deter this new reporter! Patricia Garrido Galvan eagerly strapped herself in and entered the deposition world with ambition and positivity. She earned her California CSR license in January of 2020 after attending school at South Coast College. She lives in Long Beach, Calif., and works both remotely and in person as a freelance deposition stenographer.
JCR | Where’s your favorite place to edit?
PGG | I was very much enjoying editing at coffee shops before the pandemic. For now, I make myself enough coffee and thankfully have a comfortable desk area to work from home. I find it very helpful and productive to time my editing time. It’s easy to get sidetracked, but with a timer going I feel more accountable. I use my very comfy seat cushion, and I can definitely sit for hours. Quality short breaks are a must!
JCR | Do you have a mentor?
PGG | I sure do! I’m grateful to consider my mentors my friends and my friends in this field my mentors. I used to hear so much about the benefits of having a mentor while I was in school and didn’t really reach out until I needed my “sitting out” hours. I cannot stress enough how helpful it is to have a solid support team. We know the struggles better than anyone and can relate to so much.
JCR | What do you enjoy most about court reporting?
PGG | I think the skill we hold is very impressive. Sometimes I feel like I can’t juggle things in my life, and then I remember my fingers can write really fast as I’m listening at the same time and handling more than one speaker at a time, and honestly, that’s just a really awesome feeling. The flexibility is something I always looked forward to. I get to decide just how much I want to work, and now adding on the flexibility of remote reporting has also been amazing.
JCR | How did you feel both going into your first assignment as a reporter and coming out of it?
PGG | I remember feeling a bit nervous, but a happy and proud kind of nervous. Working as hard as I did to obtain my license made me feel confident that I truly had what it would take to have a successful first day/job. Coming out of it, I couldn’t help but laugh. Mentally, I knew I had just taken on so much for my first experience. Emotionally, I felt incredibly fulfilled. I was finally getting paid to do something I had done day in and day out for years as a student. I felt proud of myself going in and even more proud of myself when it was all over.
JCR | Do you have any advice for reporting students?
PGG | Never stop working on your writing. Do not lose sight of why you started your journey. Knowledge is power, seek out all the help that is offered. Be kind and patient with yourself and your struggles. Become a member of the associations, such as the Deposition Reporters Association of California and NCRA; you’ll be exposed to more than you would be without them.
Molly Cooper, RPR, is a freelance reporter in Fullerton, Calif. She can be reached at Mollycoop@rocketmail.com.
