There are several ways that the Memphis court reporters of Omega (Lisa and I) participate in our community and give back. In this blog post, I want to talk about my service on the TCRA Board and how rewarding it has been for the past two and a half years.
I have to say that I am still amazed that I am on this volunteer board. It’s really not something that I ever thought I would feel comfortable doing. I am generally, by nature, a rather shy and conservative individual; hence, my court reporter profession!
I remember when I was in college going through my training, my school required that I take Speech as a class. That frightened me to death! I’m a small-town girl from rural North Dakota. Anyway, I actually set up a meeting with the dean of my school and outlined all the reasons why I shouldn’t be required to take that Speech class. The reasons I enumerated were as follows:
1. I will be the “silent” person in the courtroom.
2. If I need to read back, I just have to read what was said. I don’t have to come up with anything original.
3. I really think an internship at a law office would serve me better for after I got out of school. I’ll have interaction with attorneys.
4. Oh, by the way, I need permission to be able to take extra credit hours in order to participate in an internship.
Did I say that I waited until my last quarter to go to the dean with my pitch?
Through my service on this TCRA Board, I have met some incredible reporters/individuals. Their contribution to this organization is nothing short of amazing. Their dedication to our profession is evident in everything they do. Had I not accepted the challenge of being on this board, I know I never would have met these wonderful people.
At the time I came on the Board, I was asked what committee I would be interested in serving on. I love the technology aspects of our job, so I said I would love to work on the Web Site Committee. There was a lot of research involved in that project and it has evolved over these past few years. I also feel that the Student section of our site is a great resource for all of our reporting students as well, which translates into the satisfaction of knowing that I’m “helping” others.
Last year I also took on the challenge of chairing the Convention Committee. Our convention was in Memphis for the first time in eight years. Again, the volunteers on my committee were amazing and made the planning and preparations go relatively smoothly. My most cherished memory of that experience is when my reporter colleagues from across the state arrived in Memphis a day early to help me assemble the convention packets and then we went to dinner and dessert afterward! The fellowship with them was great and I know I have made lifelong friends.
That’s just a small snippet of some of the reasons why I feel volunteering is so important. I know you all give back in your own way and would love to hear about your experiences, too.
