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 Court Reporter, Bob Sullivan, CSR, alumnus of South Coast College, and his wife, Lynette Sullivan, CSR, a deposition reporter and graduate of South Coast College, with their son and daughter provided an outstanding mock deposition experience for the students at South Coast College.  Bob Sullivan, an Orange County Court Reporter, has supported South Coast College through the years by encouraging and motivating students.  Lynette Sullivan, CSR, has worked tirelessly with the deposition class in establishing contacts for the deposition externship. 

They have a talented family who also participated in bringing about the mock deposition.  Their son is a videographer who videotaped the mock depositions, and their daughter is a talented actress who participated in the activity. 

South Coast College is fortunate to have such talented, altruistic alumni who provide these wonderful real-life experiences for its students.  Thanks, so much.

 Marcia McEntee, CSR (left)  Eunyoung Kim, CSR (right)

Eunyoung Kim, CSR, who teaches an evening theory class at South Coast College, invited Marcia McEntee, CSR, who is a working deposition reporter, to speak to her class last week.  Both Eunyoung Kim and Marcia McEntee are graduates of South Coast College.  Both had completely different backgrounds that brought them to South Coast College. 

Eunyoung had graduated with a four-year degree and was unable to find a suitable position.  Marcia McEntee had also graduated with a four-year degree and had worked for many years in a high-level sales position.  However, the industry in which she was working was having difficulty as a result of the economy.  Eunyoung enrolled in the day program and completed in two years.  She is a deposition reporter and a CART reporter at UC Irvine during the day.  Marcia enrolled in the day program and then switched into the night program because she needed to work.  She qualified in four years at night.  Marsha is a deposition reporter during the day and still is a CART reporter at UC Irvine at night one night a week.  She job shares a class for the hearing-impaired  with another CART reporter because she enjoys the experience of giving back. 

Marcia wanted to speak to the evening students to let them know that she loved the evening program and that she began the court reporting program when she was 41.  She let the students know that she loves the profession, loves having the freedom of when to work, and loves the fact that she can still travel if that’s what she wants.  She recently took her first deposition in which she traveled up north for the deposition.  She enjoyed the experience of once again traveling but is happy that she has a choice of whether to travel or not.  Thanks Marcia for your great inspirational talk.

South Coast College is fortunate to have outstanding alumni who continue to visit campus to inspire and motivate students.  This week, Robert Short, CSR, an international deposition reporter who reports all over the world, visited South Coast College and spoke in a number of classes.  His message to students is always to follow the program, practice every day and attend all classes, and use all the practice aids that the school provides. 

Robert was an outstanding student who completed the program in less than two years and passed the CSR on his first attempt.  He always returns to school at least once a year and sometimes more to motivate the South Coast College students.  He has recently returned from Africa where he was engaged in deposition reporting.

How to Avoid the Mistakes I Made in Court Reporting School

 It’s been ten years since I’ve been licensed as a CSR.  Yes, a whole decade has elapsed since my time in court reporting school. So I thought it might be appropriate to look back at some of my experiences (and mistakes) and share those with you over the course of some guest blogs here on South Coast College’s website. 

Tip #1 - Be Consistent I don’t know about you, but many times during my court reporting school experience, I thought I had it all figured out.  It would happen right after completing a speed or passing a test.  I would get complacent and, the truth be told, a little lazy.  Okay, a lot lazy.  My entire path through school was subsequently a series of quick bursts followed by coasting.  Pass a test or two, then slack off for a few weeks… then hit the gas for another burst, then relax for a spell.  I enjoyed 170s so much, in fact, that I spent one full year “visiting” that speed.  And the crazy cycle would continue.   

Things don’t have to be that way.  And I’ve learned it is a rather inefficent distribution of energy.  When driving a car, for example, don’t you get better gas mileage if you apply consistent and even pressure on the gas pedal rather than “gunning” it and then slamming on the brakes in the nick of time?  It’s the same thing with court reporting school.  The best way to survive court reporting school, and my #1 tip on the subject, is to be consistent in your efforts throughout. 

If you come to school every day in the beginning, keep it up even (or especially) as you begin to advance through the speeds.  If you can practice a couple hours per night during theory, then don’t slack off when you’re in speed building. Be consistent and you’ll not only finish the program on time  but maybe even before time and feel less “burned out” by the experience. Todd Olivas is a court reporter and agency owner.  He can be reached through http://www.toddolivas.com or Riverside Court Reporting.    

Court reporting graduate, Leslie Riddle-Brocoff, CSR, mother of Allison Brocoff, reminised with President Jean Gonzalez about her time at South Coast College.  Leslie was a student when the campus was located in Westminster.  Leslie left reporting for a number of years to raise her family and recently returned.  She is now once again a deposition reporter.

Court reporting student, Anna Valdez, qualified from South Coast College to take the next CSR examination.  Anna is the latest of three who have qualified for the test — Aharon Moehem, Cassandra Lopez, and Anna Valdez.  Aharon and Anna are day students.  Cassandra Lopez is an evening student.

Court reporter, Valerie Harris, CSR, surprised President Jean Gonzalez today by appearing to talk to new students.  The new students had many questions to ask Valerie who is now working in the Los Angeles Courts.  Valerie explained that she started the Court Reporting Program at South Coast College immediately upon graduation from high school.  She completed the program in two years and passed the CSR upon her first attempt. 

Valerie then went on to being a deposition reporter.  In the meantime, she took the RPR examination and passed it.  For the past two years, she has been working in court.  She said that she is 27 years old and has a great career.  She loves being a court reporter.  She said that Celena De Hart, CSR, and Wendy Goodman, CSR, are both working with her in court.

Valerie went on to tell President Gonzalez that Kimberly Mesa, CSR, is doing well at Kusar Reporters and that Summer Tang, CSR, just had a baby and will be returning to deposition reporting.

Court Reporter, Cynthia Bacad, CSR, dropped by to give us updates on what she is doing.  Cynthia said that her classmate, Carlos Hicho, CSR, is also doing really well.   Both of them are working as deposition reporters.  Thanks for your update, Cynthia.

Court reporters who graduated from South Coast College–Marsha McEntee, CSR; Dustin Huffer, CSR; and Stephanie Leslie, CSR visited last Wednesday.  Dustin Huffer was impressed with Marsha’s command of LiveNote.  Dustin is known for his technology skills.  He is the court reporter who edits using a joy stick.  Stephanie Leslie is not only a deposition reporter, but she owns her own court reporting agency –Regal Reporters. 

Everyone at South Coast College enjoys the visits from the alumni.

Kristin Munez, CSR, a graduate of South Coast College visited campus today with her little boy.  Kristin looks great and said she is very happy being a mother and doing depositions.  Thanks for your visit, Kristin.