Gordon Robertson from Edmonton, Alberta awarded a $500 scholarship
RESTON, Va., Aug. 3, 2021— The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), the country’s leading organization representing stenographic court reporters, captioners, and legal videographers, has announced that Gordon Robertson from Edmonton,
Alberta, Canada, a student at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) in Edmonton, 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.
Robertson, who is writing at 120 words per minute, expects to graduate in 2022. He said he plans to narrow down his interests in a specific area of the profession sometime during his second year in school.
“The trouble is there seems to be a plethora of equally interesting paths to take. The skill of a court reporter can be put to use in so many ways that I’m unsure which I want to pursue. I’m interested in the more personal aspect of Communication Access
Realtime Translation (CART), but being a fly on the wall of a court room sounds very exciting,” he said.
Robertson said he learned about the court reporting and captioning profession through a NAIT open house where he first saw a steno machine and was intrigued by the cryptic notes he saw on the screen and a lack of keys like on a typewriter.
“After taking the NCRA A to Z Intro to Steno Machine program I was hooked on learning this new language and developing the skill along with it. The A to Z scholarship is an obvious help financially, but it also helps mentally. With such a skill-based
profession, learning is an uphill battle where as soon as you master one speed, it’s on to the next one,” Robertson said.<
“This whole educational journey is a constant challenge and receiving this scholarship is a tremendous gust of wind at my back. The scholarship reminds me that 20 words per minute and typing words no longer than four letters used to be a challenge. It
shows me how far I’ve progressed in under a year and to keep pushing,” he 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.
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.
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.