By Lisa Dennison
The 2026 NCRA A to Z® Intro to Steno Machine Shorthand Asynchronous program opened in January, and since then we have awarded more than 450 certificates. The Asynchronous program relies on the use of discussion forums for participants to interact with each other and ask questions. In January, one post from Olivia Dittmer caught my eye.
“Hello! My name is Olivia and I am from Iowa,” she wrote. “I am following my mother’s footsteps. She has been a court reporter for 31 years.” When Olivia completed the program the following month, I had to reach out and learn more about this mother-daughter duo. I was able to ask Olivia and her mother, Sarah J. Dittmer, RPR ,more about their experiences in the field.
LD | Olivia, Congratulations on completing A to Z and earning your certificate in February. What is your feedback about the A to Z program?
OD | It was a good introduction to the machine.
LD | What is your background and what inspired you to get into court reporting?
OD | I just graduated as of May 9, 2026. [I was inspired by] watching my mom working as I grew up and [by] the money opportunities.
LD | So Sarah, how did you get started in the field?
SD | I was in typing class at North High School in Des Moines, Iowa. A representative from American Institute of Business came and did a demonstration of the manual steno machine. She gave a presentation that showed a new court reporter could make more money than a new lawyer. I had just applied for, and was accepted to, the University of Iowa to become a lawyer, since I couldn’t afford Harvard, of course, and I thought I could debate my way out of anything. At the time I was typing 70+ words per minute and liked the money part of her presentation. That changed my whole career.
LD | You mentioned you’ve reported on pretty much anything that requires a court reporter, from school board meetings, public and political meetings, CART, termination hearings, accidents, and even virtual depositions! What was your most unique or memorable one?
SD | You name it, if I haven’t done it, I will TRY to do it, if asked. On my bucket list was to report federal court after the delivery of a baby. Because … why not? For my 8th child, I was able to do just that. A few hours after delivery, I reported a federal sentencing over the telephone. Bucket list – check!
LD | What is your favorite part about court reporting?
SD | My favorite part of freelance court reporting is the flexibility to do things when normal people cannot. I shop when the stores are empty. We vacation on the off seasons. I can say “no” to jobs if I want to. (I rarely want to.) I also love how much I learn from just listening. I learn how not to commit these particular crimes. (They did it wrong, of course, because they got caught.) I learn new words. I learn speech patterns.
LD | Olivia, we hope that you are on to an interesting career like your mom! What are your next steps?
OD | College at Des Moines Area Community College for court reporting.
LD | Sarah, what advice would you give to Olivia and anyone newly interested in the field?
SD | My advice for a new reporter is to pursue learning about your job, about how you do things, what is acceptable and not acceptable. If you have the opportunity, learn from more than one reporter. It is a very isolating job where you rarely see other reporters, but learn what you can from everyone, in every job. Be the professional in the room. Even if the attorneys show up in shorts and a T-shirt, you are the professional. If an attorney asks for something that you do not have, add it to your bag. You are not only selling your ability to write words and produce an excellent transcript, you are selling yourself as a professional court reporter. That can mean being happy and cheerful even when you are having a down day.
LD | Thank you both so much for sharing your stories! Best wishes as you both continue in the profession!
Do you know someone who would make a great court reporter? Please share with them information about our NCRA A to Z program, or check out the NCRA Resource Center for materials you can use to educate others about what you do! If you have any questions, please contact Lisa Dennison, NCRA A to Z Program Coordinator directly at atozprog@ncra.org.
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