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President Jean Gonzalez of South Coast College indicated that it used to be that the majority of the students in the court reporting came from recommendations from court reporting alumni.  Now, it seems to be across the board in all programs — Medical Assisting, Medical Transcription, Paralegal Studies, and Legal Administative Assistant.

It used to also that the court reporting students would just recommend their family and friends to the court reporting program.  Now, students from one program recommends family and friends to their program and other programs. 

President Jean Gonzalez said that one reason is that all the programs are recognized as being excellent programs, thanks to the stability of the teaching staff in each program and the directors in the respective programs.  Ramy Seang, Director of Medical Programs, has done an excellent job of creating an outstanding Medical Assisting Program.  Janet James, instructor, and Dr. Florente R. Velasco have created an exceptional medical transcription program that boasts a zero drop out rate consistently and a 100 percent placement rate consistently.  Janet James, BA, FHIA, ART, is currently Health Information Manager at UCI Irvine and has brought her expertise in that area to the program.  Dr. Velasco has been a medical doctor for many years and shares his expertise with students.

William Dixon, J.D., Director of the Legal Programs, worked for over 20 years at Western State College of Law in both teaching and administrative positions.  His contacts in the legal field have resulted in such excellent instructors as the following:  Thomas Lo, J.D., Orange County Public Defender; Kathryn Terry, J.D., BSED, one of the foremost immigration attorneys in Orange County; David Manzer, J.D., an attorney who has his own law practice; Emily Cruz, J.D. and A.A. in Paralegal Studies, who knows the law from both the procedural and substantive aspects.

The court reporting students of South Coast College often bring to court reporting wonderful diverse backgrounds that will help them in the future.  Anything that one learns can be applied when in the field of court reporting.  Just an example of the backgrounds of recently enrolled students.  Deb Holm attended Cal State, Long Beach, and is a graphics designer.  Kitri Lint graduated from UC Santa Barbara, was a police officer, then a teacher.  Michelle Knapp graduated from FIDM in fashion merchandising.  Her sister is a Deputy District Attorney.  Annie Lamer graduated in fashion design from Brooks College in Long Beach.

President Jean Gonzalez commented on the continuing trend of college graduates entering the various programs at South Coast College.  She noted that the career of Medical Assisting is a quick way for someone with a degree to become employable where there is a chance for upward mobility in a relatively short period of time.  In nine short months, a graduate is ready to enter the medical field.  Having a degree is a plus!

Medical Transcription is another area where graduates with degrees can apply their knowledge and skills.  The Medical Transcription Program is growing as a result of people holding degrees wishing to enter the medical field in other than patient care.  Some of the people attracted are nurses or other health-care professionals who wish to utilize their knowledge of the medical area in a different way.  The strength of the program at South Coast College is the result of having Janet James, Medical Records Director at UCI, directing the transcription portion of the program and having a medical doctor, Dr. Velasco, teaching the medical-related subjects.  Christine Nakamura, a recent graduate in Medical Transcription, hired by St. Mary’s in Long Beach, indicated that although she had a degree, she needed to have the skills that she achieved at South Coast College to become employable.

A number of the college graduates who have entered the Paralegal Program at South Coast College have told President Gonzalez that it was one of the best career choices that they ever made.  The Paralegal Program is an excellent choice for graduates with degrees in English, sociology, psychology, political science, criminology, history — just to name a few areas.

The Court Reporting Program continues to attract degree holders.  Kitri, a new court reporting student, is a graduate of University of California at Santa Barbara.  She indicated that her degree is in political science, which first led her into becoming a police officer.  She indicated that she wished that she had known about the career of court reporting earlier.

A popular trend at South Coast College is that more students who already have degrees from colleges and universities are enrolling in the programs.  A common response from students when asked why they are going into the court reporting, paralegal, medical transcription, or medical assisting programs are that they either could not get jobs in their fields of study or that they did not want to go into the field that they had initially prepared to enter.

One of the fields that students prepared for is criminal justice.  Andrea Rinker, CSR, said that she enjoyed the study of that field but did not wish to work in it.  The transition to court reporting with her B.A. in Criminal Justice was a natural.  She completed the court reporting program in less than two years and is now working as a deposition reporter.  She also recommended the program to her friend, Christine Polek, who also has the same degree.  She is now attending South Coast College.

Michelle Siazon chose the Medical Transcription as a way to complement her BA degree from Cal State University, Long Beach as did Christine Nakamura, who has a BA degree from UC Riverside. 

Bonifa Baranyai Chavis chose the Paralegal Program as a way to complement her BA degree from Bennett College.

Allyson Brocoff obtained her degree in Health Sciences and then chose to follow in the footsteps of her mother, who is a court reporter. 

One of the latest trends at South Coast College is the number of students who are enrolling because they know of successful graduates from South Coast College in Orange County.  South Coast College has a number of programs (court reporting, paralegal, medical transcription, legal administrative assistant, medical assistant) that produce excellent, successful graduates.  As a result, others who are looking to be employed in exciting, stable, lucrative careers are enrolling at South Coast College. 

     Sharon Borgo is one such student.  Sharon enrolled in the Court Reporting Program to become a court reporter because she works with the husband of a graduate from South Coast College in Orange County, Ronnie Zavosky, CSR.  Ronnie has a lucrative career as a captioner for a Canadian firm.  Ronnie is able to work from home and raise her family.  Sharon then referred another friend who recently enrolled.

     Jamie Ply, CSR, graduated from South Coast College in Orange County as a court reporter less than a year ago and has a successful career.  As a result, her friend, Cynthia Sui, and her roommate, Zaneta Pak, have enrolled in the Court Reporting Program.  Ivy Reid, a Bank of America employee, enrolled in the evening Court Reporting Program, after meeting Diana Lindsay, CSR, another South Coast College graduate. 

One of the latest trends at South Coast College in Orange County is for family members to attend in one or more of the programs — court reporting, paralegal, legal administrative assistant, medical transcription, and medical assisting.  The way that it works is usually that one family member enrolls and brings another shortly after.  Sometimes a parent enrolls first and the son or daughter enrolls later, or the son or daughter enrolls first and then later a parent.  Such was the case with the Princes — Diane and Daniel.  The mother, Diane, enrolled and then brought her son.  Diane is currently in the Paralegal Program at South Coast College, and Daniel is in the Court Reporting Program.  Rosanna O’Rear enrolled in the Court Reporting Program, and her daughter Brigette has recently enrolled in the same program. 

          In the case of the Pittons, Mary enrolled first in the Court Reporting Program and her father then followed.  Mary has had a setback having incurred cancer, and her father has now surpassed her in speed.

        In the case of the Flores family, the mother, Helene, enrolled in the Court Reporting Program, and her daughter and niece followed, enrolling the Medical Assisting Program.

        At South Coast College, there are many instances of siblings referring siblings.  Tiffany Sorenson just enrolled in the day Court Reporting Program.  Her sister, Natalie, is enrolled in the evening Court Reporting Program.  Jamie Onuki enrolled a few quarters ago, and her sister Suzie has recently enrolled. 

        Sometimes referrals come to South Coast College from successful aunts or cousins.  Jamie Matlock, who has recently qualified to take the CSR, was referred by her successful aunt who graduated from South Coast College.  Another cousin has recently entered the Court Reporting Program at South Coast College.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.  Rick Louie, Technology Instructor at South Coast College in Orange, forwarded this information about career prospects for court reporters from the U.S. Bureau of Labor.

     The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics updated the information about court reporting in its latest edition of the Occupational Handbook for 2008-2009.

     The handbook projects that the need for court reporters will grow by 25 percent by 2016, faster than the average for all occupations over the time span.  This growth, the handbook says, will be “spurred by the continuing need for accurate transcription of proceedings in courts and in pretrial depositions, by the growing need to create captions for live television, and by the need to provide other real-time broadcast captioning and translating services for the deaf and hard-of-hearing.”

     Based on that assessment, the OOH predicts that job opportunities for court reporters are expected to be excellent, and notes that openings will probably continue to outnumber job seekers.

Ramy Seang, P.A. Medical Programs Director/Instructor at South Coast College in Orange is a graduate of the UCLA/Charles Drew Physician’s Assistant Program.

     Q     What interested you in pursuing a career at South Coast College?

     A      When I interviewed for the position, I had a good feeling about the college atmosphere, facilities, and faculty/staff interaction with students.  The school was buzzing with positive energy.  I asked what autonomy I would have in helping to enhance the Medical Assistant program, and I was assured that I would have the freedom to make positive changes as long as I worked for the betterment of the program and South Coast College.  In the time that I have been at South Coast College, I have been encouraged to make the changes in the delivery of the curriculum that I have made and to continue to improve my professional development as an instructor.  In my experience, many colleges do not offer the same level of academic freedom.

     Q     What surprised you most about South Coast College?

     A     I would say that it would be the high-caliber students that attend South Coast College.  Part of it, I must say, stems from the fact that South Coast College has a long-standing reputation in the legal field since 1961 and attracts outstanding court reporting and paralegal students from throughout the country.

     Q     Where do you see the Medical Assisting field 10 years from now?

     A      I see the field of Medical Assisting rapidly increasing as the number of baby-boomers require more health care.  High demand also translates into higher salaries for the Medical Assistant.  If you think about it, medical professions are the most stable of all professions.

     Q     Are there any unusual trends that you are spotting?

     A       I would say that a surprising trend is that more individuals who have degrees are seeking to complete the short nine month courses that make them immediately employable.  With the economy in its current condition, it is an easy way to transition into a position that has great career-path possibilities, especially for people who hold degrees.  Another trend that is occurring is that South Coast College is becoming a neighborhood college for medical assisting.  With St. Joseph’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital of Orange County, and University of Irvine Medical Center in close proximity to the college, it is attractive both for neighborhood students to go to school and to find externships and jobs.

     Q       What does the South Coast College Medical Assisting Program in Orange offer students that other schools may not?

     A        1.     Thorough preparation in both front office and back office procedures.    Clinical skills and medical coding/billing are equally emphasized, making for a more valuable medical assistant.

                2.      Sound academic preparation.  A strong academic program prepares students academically with the requisite medical foundation should they wish to continue in other health-care professions.

                3.       Class size.  The classes are small, allowing students to perform more iterations of clinical procedures, making students more competitent to perform a variety of medical procedures.

                4.        The comaraderie of faculty/staff and students from other programs.  Students/faculty/staff from the various programs participate as willing volunteers in receiving certain medical procedures.

                5.         Higher chances of employment in the medical field.  A quality program produces quality graduates that are easy to place in health professions.

                6.         The instructors are only either P.A.s or M.D.s.  The education that the students receive is in far more depth than can be provided from someone with a Certificate in Medical Assisting.

                7.           South Coast College is highly respected in the Orange County area because of the number of outstanding alumni it has produced over the years.

     Q     What are you most proud of with respect to your accomplishments at South Coast College?

     A      I am most proud of the retention that the Medical Assisting and Medical Transcription programs have.  I am proud of having raised the academic level of the courses.  I am proud of being able to place quality graduates who will help earn South Coast College the same degree of recognition in the medical field as it already holds in the legal field.