Contact

Annemarie Roketenetz
National Court Reporters Association
Director, Communications and PR
Tel: 703-584-9014 or aroketenetz@ncra.org 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Mary Lancaster from Norman, Okla., awarded a $500 a NCRA A to Z® Scholarship

Mary LancasterRESTON, Va., Aug. 1, 2021— The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), the country’s leading organization representing stenographic court reporters, captioners, and legal videographers, has announced that Mary Lancaster from Norman, Okla., a student at Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma City, has been awarded a $500 NCRA A to Z® Scholarship. The scholarships are supported by funds from the National Court Reporters Foundation (NCRF), the philanthropic arm of NCRA.

Lancaster, who is currently writing at 100 words per minute, expects to graduate within the next six-to-eight months, and noted that court reporting is a second career for her.

“I originally heard about the profession when I graduated from high school more than 30 years ago. I was enrolled in a court reporting program for a year and a half after high school. My education was cut short by some unexpected life events,” Lancaster said.

“In 2019, my husband and I were discussing some job options I might want to pursue after I ‘retire’ from the educational field. He is in the media field, and we both thought captioning would be something I might enjoy. When researching the captioning profession, I was surprised to discover that captioners are court reporters,” she added.

Lancaster said she recognizes that it is challenging to be a court reporting student given the great deal of time, work, dedication, and determination needed.

“It is even more of a challenge when you are working full time and have other responsibilities, such as taking care of a family. This scholarship will help pay for some of my tuition. Every bit of help with tuition helps to decrease the stress of being a student,” she said.

“I am honored to be chosen as one of the 2021 NCRA A to Z Scholarship winners. It is a privilege to be recognized with a national scholarship,” she added.

To be eligible for the NCRA A to Z Scholarship, students must meet the requirements listed below and submit an application.

  • Have completed an NCRA A to Z Intro to Steno Machine Shorthand program.
  • Have received an NCRA A to Z Certificate of Completion.
  • Have attained an exemplary academic record.
  • Have passed one skills test writing 60-100 words per minute at the time of submission.

For more information about the NCRA A to Z Scholarship, or the NCRA A to Z Intro to Steno Machine Shorthand program, please contact the Education Department at schools@ncra.org.

NCRF is currently accepting donations to meet its 2021-2022 goal of $5,000 to fund an additional 10 scholarships. To donate to the A2Zfund, text the keyword A2ZFUND to 41444 with this message: A2ZFUND $Amount Name and Message.

 

The court reporting and captioning professions offer viable career choices that do not require a four-year college degree and yet offer good salaries, flexible schedules, and interesting venues. There is currently an increasing demand for more reporters and captioners to meet the growing number of employment opportunities available nationwide and abroad. Court reporters and captioners rely on the latest in technology to use stenographic machines to capture the spoken word and translate it into written text in real time. These professionals work both in and out of the courtroom recording legal cases and depositions, providing live captioning of events, and assisting members of the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities with gaining access to information, entertainment, educational opportunities, and more.

To arrange an interview with a working court reporter or captioner, or to learn more about the lucrative and flexible court reporting or captioning professions and the many job opportunities currently available, contact pr@ncra.org.

About NCRA

The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) has been internationally recognized for promoting excellence among those who capture and convert the spoken word to text for more than 100 years. NCRA is committed to supporting its more than 14,000 members in achieving the highest level of professional expertise with educational opportunities and industry-recognized court reporting, educator, and videographer certification programs. NCRA impacts legislative issues and the global marketplace through its actively involved membership.

Forbes has named court reporting as one of the best career options that do not require a traditional four-year degree. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the court reporting field is expected to grow by 7 percent through the year 2028, faster than the projected employment growth across all occupations. According to 247/WallSt.com, the court reporting profession ranks sixth out of 25 careers with the lowest unemployment rate, just 0.7 percent. Career information about the court reporting profession—one of the leading career options that do not require a traditional four-year degree—can be found at NCRA DiscoverSteno.org.

About NCRF

As a charitable organization, the Foundation relies almost solely on tax-deductible donations, the majority of which come from NCRA members and associated businesses. To donate, or for information on NCRF’s programs, visit NCRA/Foundation.org, or call 800/272-6272, ext. 126.