By Cynthia Bruce
From July 12–14 the Long Beach [Calif.] Convention Center buzzed with energy as 4,500 school counselors from across the country gathered for the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) conference. With this year’s theme — “Navigate and Innovate!” — the event spotlighted fresh perspectives and nontraditional career paths, making it the perfect setting for NCRA to shine a light on the dynamic world of stenography.
At the NCRA exhibit booth, counselors were drawn in by the live skill demonstrations from California court reporters Vickie Blair, RPR, CRR, and Numia Wade, RPR, CRR. Their realtime captioning sparked nonstop curiosity, prompting countless versions of the same question: “Can you explain how that works?” As Blair said, “It’s a great idea to market it to the school counselors because they really don’t know about our profession.”
Reflecting on the experience, Wade shared: “As an exhibitor at ASCA representing my profession as a court reporter, I enjoyed engaging with attendees, answering questions about the role of court reporting in the justice system, and demonstrating the technology we use. It was a rewarding experience to educate others on the critical importance of accurate transcription and to inspire interest in the field.”
Alongside them, Lisa Dennison, NCRA’s A to Z® Program Coordinator, and I fielded questions, shared resources, and introduced counselors to the many career opportunities within the profession. The response was enthusiastic, and many counselors expressed interest in inviting court reporters to their schools’ career days. When those requests come in, NCRA will coordinate with our state associations to follow up and make those connections happen.
NCRA’s ongoing presence at ASCA has been a strategic win. Over the years we have built a contact list of more than 1,500 counselors, and each new conversation expands our reach. All new counselor contacts are added to our biannual counselor-focused newsletter, which provides information on court reporting programs and encourages student participation in the NCRA A to Z Intro to Steno Machine Shorthand program.
ASCA offers an invaluable opportunity to put court reporting in front of those who directly influence students’ career choices. If you are passionate about this profession and want to help shape its future, consider joining us next year when the conference heads to New Orleans, La., July 11–14, 2026.
New Orleans court reporters, get ready. NCRA will be calling!
Cynthia Bruce, M.S. Ed, is NCRA’s Vice President of Education and Certification. She can be reached at cbruce@ncra.org.
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