It has been the norm for the last several years for NCRA to be represented at the American School Counselors Association (ASCA) annual conference to showcase the benefits of choosing a career in court reporting or captioning. Despite COVID-19, this year was no different except that rather than attending in person, NCRA Senior Director of Education and Certification Cynthia Bruce Andrews showcased the professions virtually at ASCA’s first online conference held in late November.
While nothing can replace the experience and networking an in-person event offers, the virtual event held this year still provided a platform for Andrews to share with attendees more about the opportunities a career in court reporting or captioning holds.
Because presenters were asked to submit their presentations in advance for the conference, Andrews said she created a PowerPoint that included voiceovers.
“There were six organizations that were scheduled to present. All presenters were asked to log in at the same time. The presentations played, and it was during the presentation the presenter was able to answer any questions attendees had via the chat function,” she said. Among the many inquires she said she received from attendees was wanting to know more about the NCRA A to Z® Intro to Steno Machine Shorthand program.
Andrews said it is important for NCRA to be represented at ASCA at both the national and state levels because the organization offers access to middle and high schools students who are often searching for the right career path for their futures.
“All counselors who attended were given a copy of the PowerPoint presentation with my contact information, and we even shared with them that we would be happy to offer a Zoom presentation to any class of students who might be interested,” she added.
Andrews said she is looking forward to attending ASCA again in person in 2021 to continue to spread the word about the benefits of choosing a career in court reporting or captioning.
