Once again, we see that steno is indeed a family affair. Meet the Wilde sisters – Lucy & Ellie. Not only NAIT CCR graduates but amazing athletes too! We asked them both to share some thoughts on their program and career choices.

Can you tell us what drew you to the industry of court reporting and brought you to the Captioning and Court Reporting program at NAIT in the first place?

Lucy: I was actually playing basketball at NAIT for a year prior and was trying to figure out what program I wanted to be in, and that’s when I found Captioning and Court Reporting! I was very fascinated with the machine and writing shorthand as I had never seen a machine like that before. But once I learned more about the career and gained a better understanding of what it was from people in my hometown that were court reporters, it seemed like such a good fit for me and my life, and I’m so happy I did!

Ellie: To be honest I was struggling about what I wanted to take in school. I was already at NAIT playing on the women’s basketball team, and my mom was googling programs there and found this one. It was such a different career than anything I had ever heard of, and that intrigued me so much.

What kept me drawn to the program was hearing about the flexibility of the job. I had talked to quite a few moms who are court reporters, and they said it was such a good mom job, and that’s what I always wanted! There is lots of flexibility in the career and different ways to go with it as well. There is something for everyone.

What advice do you have for anyone looking for a new career and who may be looking at the Captioning and Court Reporting Program?

Lucy: My advice would be that if you’re thinking of entering the program and not afraid to work hard, do it. It’s a rewarding, flexible career, and the court reporters that I have talked to are very supportive, so I would suggest finding a good firm that gives you that support. I haven’t been working very long, but so far it’s been great!

Ellie: My advice would be that if you’re going to do the program, you need to be 100 percent committed because it’s no joke. If you’re not, it would be too easy to fall behind. But also to not be afraid of the work! It’s a great job and the two years fly by. I don’t regret the work I put in for a second because the options in this career are endless, and they are all in your control! How hard you want to work. And I think that is awesome. Some other advice I would give is to never hesitate to reach out to current court reporters. I talked to a bunch before the program, and they helped me so much in getting a grasp of the career and schooling. I continued to talk to some throughout school and even now I still do. Never be afraid to ask questions! And I’m always happy to help in any way because I know how beneficial it was for me.

If you know anyone who would be a great fit for the program, they can learn more at the 2024 workshops at NAIT in the new year. A great way to see if steno is the right choice!