For Myriah Perez, a student from Le Marque, Texas, stenography is a family affair. Inspired by her aunt, Erminia Uviedo, RDR, CRR, CRC, CRI, Myriah has been navigating her steno journey alongside her sister, Myranda Perez. From study buddy sessions to traveling together to the NCRA Conference & Expo in Minneapolis, Minn., Myriah is proof that having a strong support system makes all the difference. We caught up with her to talk shop, sisters, and steno.
UTS | It sounds like stenography runs in your family. Can you explain how your aunt got you involved in court reporting?
MP | Yeah. My aunt has been doing court reporting for several years so that gave me a good picture of what a successful court reporter looks like. She had asked me about learning steno as I was nearing the end of high school, and I decided to give it a try. After graduating, I began learning the basics and have been learning and growing in my journey since.
UTS | What is it like learning stenography alongside your sister? Are you in school together? Do you practice together?
MP | Yes, we were in school together with Steno Divas. Though we didn’t practice together because I started over a year after her and was not at the same point in our steno journeys, I can say it’s been very nice to have another student in the same house. I know some court reporting students may not get to meet often, so our situation is a bit different than others. I can ask about briefs, tell each other when we pass tests, and have someone who understands it fully right beside me. This support is valuable to me, especially when I’m struggling. Something else I liked was that she could be my study buddy. I was able to study with her for the Texas CSR written exam, and we studied together every day. It was so helpful because we tested each other in vocabulary, spellings, definitions, and everything we needed to know for the exam and we both passed.
UTS | What do you love about stenography?
MP | I love that it has become so familiar to me now. I love when I master a dictation and have the briefs memorized. I also love the connection between my brain and my fingers and when I get a good flow going that makes it feel effortless. I also like that it has helped to improve my focus. When I take tests, I have to get into a focused frame of mind if I want to pass so it’s something I’m always trying to work at and hone.
UTS | You attended the NCRA Conference & Expo in Minneapolis, Minn., this past summer. What did you take away from that experience?
MP | I felt thankful for my sponsors because I was able to learn more about court reporting at the Conference. The court reporters I met were very encouraging to me and it was great to be a part of the community, meeting both experienced reporters and other students and knowing that they went/are going through the same things I am. When I left the Conference, I left with a rejuvenated spirit and enthusiasm to keep working towards my goals.
UTS | What do you think are some effective ways to get more young people involved in this career?
MP | I think it would be helpful to go to schools using career fairs or by using social media. Career fairs at high schools could be helpful if you have a representative talk about the career because you don’t usually hear people, in my experience, talk about court reporting as a career. I also think social media is a good way to reach younger people. I remember seeing a video on Instagram of someone who recorded themselves practicing on their steno machine and there were a lot of people who found the shorthand interesting and maybe it even sparked someone’s interest to learn more about it.
UTS | Where do you see yourself in five years? What does your ideal career look like?
MP | I see myself as a reporter who is confident in my writing and is gaining experience either in freelance or court work. I also see myself giving back to the community by being a sponsor to a student for conventions just as I have been.
UTS | What are your other hobbies besides stenography?
MP | My favorite hobby is listening to music. I spend a lot of time listening to music as I do things every day. When I was younger, I played the clarinet and piano, so music has always been a part of my life. I also love to grow plants and want to grow my own produce.
Up-to-Speed also talked to Myriah’s sister, Myranda Perez, to get more insight into this amazing steno family.
UTS | It sounds like stenography runs in your family. Can you explain how your aunt got you involved in court reporting?
Myranda | My aunt decided to teach me the basics after I showed interest in learning more about court reporting. After I learned the basics, she decided to keep teaching me and became my mentor.
UTS | What is it like learning stenography alongside your sister? Are you in school together? Do you practice together?
Myranda | I actually have two sisters and a cousin (Erminia’s daughter) that I was taught with. It started out with just myself and my twin sister (Mya) learning, then my younger sister (Myriah) and my cousin (Charity) began their schooling. It’s very beneficial to have family as fellow students because we would spend hours studying together for the written tests and would sometimes share briefs that we could all use.
UTS | What do you love about stenography?
Myranda | I only started taking freelance work this year, but so far, I love the freedom to manage my own schedule!
UTS | You attended the NCRA Conference & Expo in Minneapolis, Minn., this past summer. What did you take away from that experience?
Myranda | What I took away from the NCRA Conference in Minneapolis is that the court reporting community is welcoming and supportive to all students and working reporters.
UTS | Any plans to head to Bellevue, Wash., this summer for the 2026 NCRA Conference & Expo?
Myranda | Absolutely! It will be my third NCRA Conference and I’m really excited to go this year!
UTS | Do you get any strange reactions when you tell people that you are studying to be a court reporter?
Myranda | I do get some strange reactions initially, but people always seem intrigued when I explain what court reporting is. Many people have never heard of court reporting so it’s always a fun conversation to have.
UTS | What do you think are some effective ways to get more young people involved in this career?
Myranda | Social media is a great way to get more young people involved in court reporting.
UTS | Where do you see yourself in five years? What does your ideal career look like?
Myranda | In five years, I hope to be working in a courthouse near home.
Missed previous issues of Up-to-Speed? Access them here.
Comments are closed.