Dawn Hart tells Planet Depos that she went to court reporting school “by accident” thanks to her guidance counselor telling her that she was wasting time at “play college,” and that she should enroll in their court reporting program. Court reporting school was definitely not “play college.” In fact, things were so rocky that Dawn came very close to dropping out of the program entirely. Had it not been for the reinforcement of her professor and the coaching by her first employer, she isn’t sure whether she would have made it.
Dawn has earned the RPR, CRR, RMR, and CSR credentials. She has a dream team that assists her in producing her work so that she can take jobs every day, meet new people, keep learning, and do the work that she so passionately loves. When she began her career, it meant reporting to the office every day at 8 a.m., going out on assignments, and not returning home until late every evening.
She was the first person at her firm to acquire a laptop, the first to provide realtime, and she is now acclimating to “Auto-Briefs.” Her mantra is, “attack technology,” and that is how she’s been able to remain at the top of her profession.
She loves learning, and thus enjoys attending the continuing education seminars offered by the National Court Reporters Association. She suggests that every reporter read Outfluence by Al Betz, as it gave her an entirely new perspective on her career. She is a teeny-tiny powerhouse, and has brought a tremendous amount of insight and innovation to the reporting industry in Baltimore.