When the NCRA’s Discover Steno was released, we knew that we had to get involved and support the program in any way possible. We’ve created rental programs and donated machines to help potential students get a head start, but to take it a step further, we decided to send Alyssa Brummer, one of our newer contract sales reps, back to school!

Alyssa has been with us for a little more than a year, and while she’s surrounded by our writers on a daily basis, she’s never had any exposure to shorthand or steno. That changed when she took her first online Discover Steno Course. Below, you’ll find Part 2 of Alyssa’s experience in the program… what she’s learned about the profession, the skills necessary to succeed, and more about herself!

Enjoy!

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Week 3

Learning steno is something that I never thought I would do, but in three weeks, I have successfully learned 13 letters and four numbers. Let me tell you, it’s like yoga for your fingers. I never knew my hands could move that way.

I have learned how to blend combinations to make words, and the difference between the initial side of the keys and the final side is something I never really thought about, either. I thought that it worked like the keyboard we use on our computers, but nope. You start a word on one side and finish the word on the other, then add extra letters in between!

I think it goes without saying that being a court reporter is more complex than it looks. These women and men sit in the courtroom and listen to cases all day long. They write at lightning speed without hesitation. They rely on their knowledge of all that they know as well as muscle memory. It is one of the most amazing jobs in the world.

Final Class

As I start my last class of the NCRA’s Discover Steno program, I cannot believe how fast these past six weeks have gone. I won’t lie, this profession is no joke. It gets down to the nitty gritty details, and you always need to be on top of your game. Court reporting is more of a passion than a job. Working with Stacy (our instructor) the past six weeks has shown me that. She talks so highly about what she does every day, and I can still see the spark in her eyes when she teaches our class.

If I have learned anything in this course, it is to be patient with myself and to trust the process. It takes time, but one day it will just click for you. Don’t let missed strokes at school keep you from pursuing a lifelong career in one of the most underrated professions out there. It will only get better if you push yourself. Do not let anything hold you back. If an average person like me can enjoy this and actually write in steno, so can you!

Alyssa Brummer is a Contract Sales Representative at Stenograph