Born in rural Arizona, I grew up playing video games and performing with my band. I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up, so I joined the Marines and spent eight years in the United States Marine Corps. I traveled, I loved, I learned, and somehow I really grew up.

After leaving the Marines, I still didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up. I became a law enforcement officer in Arizona where I worked for the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office and Kingman Police Department. I got to work with amazing people, serve my community, wake up with purpose, and care for my family.

At about 40, I was still looking for what I wanted to do because I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life in a state of vigilance. I wanted to have purpose but not brace for a fight. I wanted to be able to relax for the first time in over 20 years. As I was looking, I worked in a local brewery that was just starting. I sold beer and talked about something I loved, traveling all over Arizona putting on events and getting the beer onto taps. I also worked as a substitute teacher mainly with middle school kids who had behavior problems. But, I was still searching, thinking where to go and what to do. I was looking at job boards, looking for what to start, wondering what to do. And, somehow, the idea of court reporting came to me; probably from my wife who has all the great ideas and sees court reporters daily at the courthouse.

This is a profession that gives purpose, can be flexible, and ultimately felt like a challenge I could take on. I started at College of Court Reporting in 2018 and attend through the Veteran Administrations Vocational Rehabilitation and Education Program (VA). Having the assistance of the VA has made this new career choice possible. I push toward learning new skills and accepting the idea that this will take time. To that end, I decided to share it. I needed something to hold me accountable to my practice, so I decided to stream my practice sessions. I was not expecting anyone to watch. I also didn’t realize that no one else was doing this. I had started streaming video games about 4 months ago, as a way to stay connected to my family who is far away, and we stream to include anyone else who is interested. Steaming my steno was just another way to share my day and make myself accountable.

Much to my surprise people wanted to watch and interact. The positive reaction has been incredible and has created a community for me as I push through the difficult process of speed building toward graduation. I'm enjoying sharing what I do. My friends who have no exposure to stenography expressed interest and explained they had no idea what this was before. I also love building a steno community. Additionally, I appreciate that this holds me accountable to daily practice. I enjoy the conversations that are held during the stream between students and certified court reporters alike. There are funny stores, brief exchanges, and career advice freely exchanged. This is a community I am so proud to be a part of and that I am proud to represent. I finally have a plan for what I am going to do when I grow up.

To find Brian:

Facebook: Stenogamer

Twitch.tv/Stenogamer

In celebration of Court Reporting & Captioning Week being held Feb. 8 – 15, 2020, the NCRA Student/Teacher Committee is sponsoring a Walt Disney themed skills contest that will be offered to all students at varying dictation speeds. The tests (Literary and Q&A) consist of five minutes of dictation at a speed level commensurate with the current level of speed building each individual student is striving to achieve or has just successfully achieved. In order to be eligible to win, students must pass one of the tests with 96 percent accuracy. The faculty at each school will be responsible for dictating and grading the material which will be provided by the Student/Teacher Committee.

CCR Student Participants:

Cynthia Bonner

Anne Ruemelin

Antonia Tucker

Tolisha Abercrombie

Jill Haefner

Stacy Shuler

Ann Marie Gibson

Larie Kuzma

Dianna Schmitz

Kimberly Coltrain

Keisha Jarrett

All students who participate in the contest, even if they don’t pass a skills test, will have their names and schools published in the NCRA Student Newsletter and thejcr.com. NCRA wants to showcase the hard work that students and schools are doing to promote the court reporting and captioning professions. Thank you to the CCR students who participated! Nice work!

This video provides an excellent demonstration of the voice method.

CCR's next voice class starts soon. Contact the admissions department at info@ccr.edu for more information.

When Neil Armstrong took his first step onto the moon on July 20, 1969, Harry Lang had just graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree in physics. But as Americans across the country gathered around their television sets to witness this historic moment, Lang, who is deaf and thus could not hear the words that went with those famous images, was unable to follow along with what was happening. In the days before captions became available for television programs, there was little those who could not hear could do to participate in shared cultural experiences like that one.

“What I saw was great irony,” Lang tells TIME. “Our country’s scientists could send a spaceship to the moon and back, but we couldn’t put captions on television for millions of deaf people who were watching it!”

The Council on Approved Student Education (CASE) is pleased to announce that nominations are being solicited for the 2020 CASE Student Scholarship. Students from NCRA-approved reporter education programs are encouraged to apply for consideration of the five scholarship awards in the amounts of $250, $500, $750, $1000, and $1500.

This scholarship is offered through the NCRA. Students must meet the eligibility requirements and submit the completed application listed below to qualify for the scholarship. Notification of the CASE Scholarship is sent each February to all NCRA-approved court reporting programs.

To be eligible to apply for the CASE student scholarship, students must meet the criteria below:

• Attend an NCRA-approved court reporting program;
• Hold student membership in NCRA;
• Have attained an exemplary academic record;
• Have passed one skills test writing 140-180 words per minute at the time of submission.

The following documents are required to be submitted for application:

• Speed verification form;
• Three recommendation forms;
• A copy of the student's most recent transcript;
• An essay on a subject: What do you think makes you good at writing steno and what skill sets do you possess that you believe will help you build your career as a court reporter?