Members of NCRA’s Student/Teacher Committee will host Students Love Steno Nights, three Zoom sessions open to students and anyone else who is interested in participating to observe NCRA’s 2021 Court Reporting & Captioning Week. With the theme All you need is love and steno, this is the ninth consecutive year NCRA has recognized the weeklong event happening Feb. 6-13.
On Feb. 8, from 8 to 9 p.m. Eastern, Debbie Kriegshauser, FAPR, RMR, CRR, CLVS, CRC, an official court reporter from Dallas, Texas, and chair of the Student/Teacher Committee will moderate a special session where participants can ask questions from a panel of seasoned NCRA members. Guests include Melanie Humphrey-Sonntag, FAPR, RDR, CRR, CRC, an official court reporter from Greeley, Colo.; Joyce Casey, FAPR, RDR, CRR, CRC, a captioner from Spartanburg, S.C.; and Nicole Bulldis, RPR, an official court reporter from Phoenix, Ariz.
“I want students to walk away from this realizing that all of us working reporters are easily accessible as well as easily available to contact, converse with, and be a part of their training journey. We love students, and we need them to come on board to replace all the reporters reaching retirement age,” Kriegshauser said.
“Court reporting is the most wonderful profession in the world! Getting to share it with folks in a concentrated week every year is so worth spreading the word. Hopefully, the students participating will be reinvigorated to work hard on their studies and join us in person for NCRA’s convention in Las Vegas,” Sonntag said.
“Anything I can do to help perpetuate our fabulous profession is always worthwhile,” she added.
On Feb. 10, Student/Teacher Committee member Amie First, RDR, CRR, CRC, CPE, an official court reporter and CART captioner from Orlando, Fla., will lead a session from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Eastern that will focus on bloopers and successes. Guests for the session include Veronica Guerrero, a freelance court reporter from Woodland, Calif.; and Jennifer Marks, an official court reporter from Citrus Heights, Calif.
“I am so excited to be involved in the 2021 Court Reporting and Captioning Week. Finishing court reporting school was the hardest thing I have ever done and my greatest accomplishment. The support and encouragement that court reporters and captioners surround students in this profession with is unmatched in anything else I have ever seen,” Marks said.
“I was inspired by so many great reporters during my time in school, and that fueled my determination during the toughest speed levels. I made a promise to myself that when I began working, I would convey to students that same level of excitement, passion, and love that was so encouraging for me,” she added.
Marks said she hopes the love and pride she has for what she does and who she is as a court reporter will come through during the session.
“Every struggle and frustration in school is worth it. Knowing I get to wake up in the morning and feel excited to go to work every day is something I feel so fortunate to have. I want to ignite that excitement and create an image of that as the future for those students working toward their goals and those considering this as a career,” she added.
The week will wrap up with a special Court Reporter “LOVE” Karaoke Night Feb. 12 from 8 to 9 p.m. Eastern hosted by Margary Rogers, RPR, CRI, an official court reporter from Washington, D.C., and a member of the Student/Teacher Committee. Participants can expect a fun-filled time as they write and practice to all love songs.
To sign up for one or all of these special Zoom gatherings, email StudentSteno@gmail.com and indicate which night or nights you would like to participate in.
Be sure to visit NCRA’s 2021 Court Reporting & Captioning Week resource page to learn more about how you can participate in this special week. NCRA has made available an array of resources from press release templates to flyers to posters and more designed to help you celebrate.
