Visit page
Press "Enter" to skip to content

Students: Find Education, Fun at the NCRA Convention & Expo

Students planning to attend the NCRA 2019 Convention & Expo this Aug. 15-18 in Denver, Colo., are in for a treat! In addition to getting a great deal on Convention, which is partially supported by donations from NCRA members, students will have access to a series of specialized sessions covering everything from language to getting out of school and into your first job.

Haven’t registered yet? You still have time! Online registration is open through July 31. Our special NCRA room rate at the Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center ends Friday, July 19.

This year’s convention will see the return of “Steno Speed Dating.” Attendees will have the chance to spend time with court reporting and captioning luminaries, including Amie First, RDR, CRR, CRC, CPE; Debbie Kriegshauser, FAPR, RMR, CRR, CLVS; Alan Peacock, RDR, CRR, CRC, FAPR; Lindsay Stoker, RPR, CRC; Jeffrey Weigl, RMR, CRR, CRC; and Doug Zweizig, RDR, CRR, among others.

“I’m excited to be moderating this session for the third time at the convention,” says Shaunise Day, who is a part of NCRA’s Student/Teacher Committee. “It was inspiring last year to meet some of the best in the profession as part of the Steno Speed Dating, and this year, I had the opportunity to reach out and learn more about 10 inspiring court reporters and captioners who should be role models for us all. They certainly opened my eyes to the many opportunities in this profession, and I hope that this year’s group will do the same for you.”

Darlene Williams, RPR, CMRS, will lead a session titled “You Want Me to Do What? I Didn’t Learn That in School,” which will focus on helping to fill in gaps where schools leave off in preparing students to begin their careers.

“We will also focus on how to spot transcript errors, sharpen proofreading skills, the importance of internet research and how to use it, how to effectively edit and then proofread a transcript, the importance of dictionary maintenance, knowing what CAT software can do for you, e.g., what common formatting changes different agencies may request and knowing how to make those modifications, etc.,” says Williams. “Being a court reporter involves commitment to details, and attendees will leave this seminar feeling confident, encouraged, and armed with the requisite skills to be successful right out of the gate.”

“We all know Code of Ethics lectures can be kind of boring at times but have you ever seen an ethics training played out?” asks Debbie Kriegshauser, FAPR, RMR, CRR, CLVS, an official reporter based in Dallas, Texas, who will be presenting “Good Reporter/Bad Reporter” with Melanie Humphrey-Sonntag, FAPR, RDR, RDR, CRR, CRC, a freelance court reporter based in St. Charles, Ill.  “Well, we have just what you need so you don’t make that next embarrassing ethical mistake. Come check us out and be ready for a laugh or two along the way!”

Last, but not least, plan to attend “Student Jeopardy,” a session jointly led by Kriegshauser and Phoebe Moorhead, RPR, CRR. “Come ready for a fun, interactive game – ‘Jeopardy’ style — where you will be quizzed on tricky spellings, some not-so-obvious homonyms, and some unusual courtroom scenarios,” says Moorhead, RPR, CRR, a freelancer based in North Ogden, Utah. “We’re looking forward to sharing our knowledge with you at Convention.”

Interested in learning more about the sessions available at the 2019 NCRA Annual Convention & Expo? Visit NCRA.org/Convention for the full schedule or to register.

Read more about the student sessions at Convention.

Read about students sharing their experiences at their first conventions.

For information about sponsorship opportunities, contact Mary Petto, Senior Director of External Affairs at mpetto@ncra.org.

* Schedule subject to change. Student seminars do not accrue Continuing Education Units (CEUs).