College of Court Reporting (CCR) loves to share alumni stories because we are so proud of their accomplishments. Completing court reporting school can be a challenge. Our alumni not only succeed in that endeavor but move on to attain awesome positions in the profession.
This month CCR is proud to welcome Marlana Haig to our Alumni Spotlight.
***************************************************
Where do you currently live? Indianapolis, Indiana
What is your graduation date? January 2002
Who is your current employer? Indiana Worker’s Compensation Board and Stewart Richardson & Associates
What is your title? Official Court Reporter, Freelance Court Reporter. Yes, I do both at the same time!
Do you have any certifications? RPR, CRI
What were you doing before you started court reporting school? I was attending a community college focusing on journalism and waiting tables.
How did you get interested in court reporting? At my sister’s high school graduation party, her band teacher mentioned his daughter had just started court reporting school at CCR. I started asking questions, which eventually led to a tour of the school. When I was shown the computer lab with a student writing real time, I was hooked!
Why did you choose CCR? It’s the only one I knew about at the time, and it seemed like a great place to attend school. Knowing all my other options now, I would still choose CCR. I received a quality education by individuals who cared about my success.
What motivated you to stay in school? Watching my mom bounce from job to job. I knew I wanted a career where I would never be out of work and I could always support myself.
Who was your support system? Parents, sister, friends
Best tip for a brand new court reporting student? It’s all worth it, even though it’s difficult, so do whatever you need to do in order to focus on practicing and getting your skill defined.
Best advice you received while in court reporting school? The best advice (that I unfortunately did NOT take) was to not take a job because I wouldn’t be using my steno machine often enough. My first job ended up being much more secretarial work than court reporting. It was disappointing for sure, but then I got comfortable and a bit complacent. The staff at CCR encouraged me not to take that first job, but I needed it, so I didn’t listen. Six and a half years later, I finally quit, moved to Indianapolis and joined the freelance world, and it was the best career decision I’ve ever made.
Talk about your transition from school to working in the profession. It was easy for me. I was hired by a Lake County judge a couple months before I finished my 225s. The job was not one I should have taken because I was not on my steno machine enough, and I was doing far too much secretarial work; I was good at that, but it’s not what I went to school and worked so hard for. The only thing that was really tough was finishing school after I was working full time. I was writing most of the day at work and then going to school at night and writing all night. It was exhausting, but there was no way I was going to give up on graduating just because I got a job. I hadn’t worked that hard to walk away at that point!
What do you ALWAYS make sure to pack in your CR bag? My steno machine! I know it sounds simple and obvious, but I am a part of a daily practice group, and so I always take my machine out of my bag to practice. The next day when it’s time to go, if I pick up my CR bag and the weight is not feeling right, I know I haven’t put my machine back in there. There’s not a whole lot of reporting you can do without it!
Any guilty pleasures, hobbies, etc? (NON- CR related!) I bowl in a league, and I sing in various venues around Indianapolis. My current project is being a part of a professional equity production at the Phoenix Theater in downtown Indianapolis.
Who is someone you admire and why? Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Supreme Court Justice. Why? Because she’s a badass and more intelligent than I could ever hope to be; a great role model for the women of our country.
***************************************************
Thank you for answering my questions, Marlana! CCR wishes you many years of joy!
Natalie Kijurna
#iheartccr
College of Court Reporting: The online education you want. The quality you deserve.