We’ve profiled many students recently who came to the career of stenography through a family member. But we’ve also profiled students who learned about the profession from already having jobs in the legal field (or in one case, jury duty). Jona Martin started work as a paralegal more than six years ago, and that experience led her to change course from applying to law school to enrolling in the court reporting program at the Arlington Career Institute in Arlington, Texas.
UTS | When you tell your friends and family that you are studying to be a court reporter, what kinds of reactions do you get?
A lot of my friends and family didn’t understand the role of a court reporter too well, so I had to explain to them what the job entails. After educating them, everyone in my life supported my decision to start school.
UTS | Everyone has their own practice routine. What’s yours?
I believe in prioritizing accuracy practice a bit more than speed practice alone. I do believe there needs to be a balance, however if you can write something clean at 100 wpm, you can write it clean at 180 wpm. I don’t like to advance to the next minute of a take without going over my mistakes and making sure that I know how to correctly write what I keep messing up on. I break a 5-minute dictation down and do 1-minute segments. I do speed build on each minute, but for 20 percent slower, 10 percent slower, and normal speeds I try to do the takes over and over again until there are 10 or fewer errors and then I move on to the next speed. I have done this since the beginning of my speedbuilding journey that started in February of 2026, and I am now testing at 160 Lit, and 180 QA/JC.
UTS | What do you love about stenography?
I love that stenography can allow you to go anywhere and be a part of someone’s story. Whether you are captioning at an event, helping a student through CART, in a courtroom, or on the senate floor, you are there and documenting history in some way. You are making a record of a life event for someone.
UTS | What is the scariest thing about court reporting school?
The scariest thing about court reporting school is that at times there can be a disconnect between your classmates. That can contribute to feelings of loneliness at times, but it is wise to know that you can still find a community outside of your class. There are tons of associations and groups online to join. I have gotten the chance to meet reporters and students from various states and walks of life. It is pretty amazing!
UTS | What is a piece of advice you have received that has had a significant impact on your life or career?
I was fortunate enough to attend the Texas Court Reporters Association (TCRA) convention recently, which is my state’s convention for court reporters. I left there feeling so inspired. Every reporter who spoke to us students told us to hang on and don’t give up. The hard work is worth it. There were reporters who had four-plus certifications. For some, this career changed their lives. It made them feel like they made a significant impact on other people’s lives, and that itself is rewarding.
UTS | Do you see any specific challenges ahead for the profession of court reporting/captioning?
I do believe the shortage of court reporters is the biggest threat to our profession. When there is a shortage, law firms and courts are going to start looking at other avenues in order to get the record. I see it as a call to serve, and I encourage anyone who is thinking about starting school to really look into it. The time to invest and start is now.
UTS | What are your other hobbies – besides practicing?
I am a really big gamer and anime enthusiast. I love playing video games, and I am also a TCG card collector. My favorite series to collect is Pokémon, and I also like playing other tabletop games such as Magic the Gathering. I go to card and anime conventions in my spare time and occasionally cosplay.
UTS | Who are your heroes – in life or in stenography?
I recently met some stenography heroes at my state convention in Texas, and I would like to say that I aspire to be like Sonia Trevino. She has done so much for the stenographers and students in Texas. Her involvement is not just in the teaching space, but she also advocates for our profession as well. I aspire to be that involved in the community one day. She won the hall of fame award at our convention, and I definitely felt a spark of something inside of me when it happened. I want to be a rising voice for this industry and not just on a local level, but also on a national one as well.
UTS | Is there anything else you would like to share?
No matter where you come from in life and no matter how many cards you were given to use to play the game, you can join this industry and feel accepted, empowered, and feel like your life has purpose. The sky is the limit to your own potential. No matter if things are rainy at the moment, always remember that the sun will shine again. To all the steno students out there, you are not alone. We are all in this together, and we are the future of this industry!
Check out our entire Student Spotlight series.
Comments are closed.