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Boot Camp is THE Premier Learning Environment for the student, new reporter, and/or facet-transitioning reporter. CCRA has once again assembled some of the best reporters and speakers in the industry for a full-day event covering a wide range of topics. Whether you are a student transitioning to a professional, official to freelancer or vice versa, freelance/official reporter to CART provider or into captioning, this interactive event offers everything you need to ensure success and confidence in your new endeavor.  As a bonus, after every session, you'll have the opportunity to meet and to ask questions with the speakers.

This event promises everything you’ll need to succeed in your new endeavor. Our carefully selected industry experts will teach you the ins and outs of whichever new avenue of reporting you choose and will help prepare you for your first day on the job in this exciting and challenging multi-faceted profession. You’ll leave with valuable knowledge from industry experts, materials and cover pages and transcript examples to help you succeed from the get-go, and some new connections too.

Objective #1: Attendees will learn all about what being a freelancer entails and how to be efficient and successful through all phases of the job.
Objective #2:  Attendees will understand the importance of building relationships and effective networking skills.
Objective #3: Attendees will learn how to work as an official in court.
Objective #4: Attendees will learn the exciting intricacies of CART/Captioning and what’s involved in the day-to-day of this dynamic and rewarding facet of the profession.

Boot Camp has always been one of our most beloved and well-attended events. Come see what the buzz is all about. It’s never too late to learn something new. We’ll see you there!

Schedule & Sessions:

Speakers:

Andrea Chavez, CSR, RPR, RMR, CRR, CCRR: Andrea is an official with Orange County Superior Court and the current president of the Orange County Superior Court Reporters Association.  She became a CSR in 2009 and worked in the deposition arena for almost ten years before her good friend, Kristi Johnson, convinced her to apply as an official.  Andrea previously served on the board of directors for CalDRA for four years and currently teaches Court Procedures at South Coast College.  She also serves as co-chair of the CalDRA CCRR committee, writing and administering the realtime certification tests.  Andrea believes solid realtime is what will keep reporters employed, and that every student should be striving for realtime certification at some point in their careers!ncer.

Cristine Ramirez Gerongco, CSR-CA, RPR-NCRA, CCG-CCRA, CCR-WA: Cristine's career has spanned multiple fields within the industry. Beginning her journey as a deposition reporter, she made the transition to providing equal accessibility as a CART Captioner, eventually stepping into the role as an official for the superior court. After some time as a state official court reporter, she found her way back again to the freelance world, reporting and providing CART and broadcast captioning within multiple arenas, which has allowed her to use her skill to provide equal accessibility as well as serving in the important role as a Guardian of the Record. Due to the flexibility of our industry to work onsite and remotely, she has had the opportunity to caption and report, traveling across the country for various events and venues, including Ivy League universities, concert venues, book tours, church services, multi-day conferences and film festivals. Having recently expanded her professional career as an official for the United States Judiciary, Cristine continues to provide CART in the evenings and weekends. She volunteers with Project Steno as a volunteer instructor, teaching introductory courses for machine stenography. Her love and enthusiasm for this amazing profession has inspired some of her family members to embark on their own court reporting journey. Three cousins enrolled in Project Steno over the past few months. Her sister Bernadette successfully completed theory and is working on her speed. The two hope to work side by side.

Kristi Johnson, RPR, CCRR: Kristi Johnson became certified in 2002 and immediately began working in the freelance field.  Over the 15-plus years Kristi was a freelancer, she reported everything from simple workers’ compensation depositions to complex patent infringement depositions. 

In 2018, Kristi decided to leave the freelance world and become an official reporter with Orange County Superior Court.  For the past six years, Kristi has been assigned to a long-cause criminal courtroom where the majority of her trials are murder trials.

Kristi currently serves as vice president for the Orange County Superior Court Reporters Association and as a court steward. She previously served on the board of CalDRA as both a district representative and president.

Kristi believes that both volunteering for your profession and continuing education are a must. You should never stop striving to improve your knowledge base, your realtime, and your technical abilities.  Those elements will continue to keep us relevant and a necessary part of the judicial process. The time she has spent on committees, volunteering on boards, and attending conventions has made her into the reporter she is today.

Lidia Perez: Lidia is a leading captioner, renowned for her expertise in making communication accessible across various sectors, including academia, the judicial system, and major conferences. She has provided realtime captioning at prestigious Ivy League institutions, including Harvard, Stanford and Columbia Law School, supporting both students and faculty. Her extensive experience also includes captioning international events, industry conferences, and high-profile seminars. Lidia travels widely to offer her services, utilizing her skills with various output formats and software to meet diverse client needs. Her career reflects a strong commitment to inclusivity, aiming to eliminate communication barriers and empower individuals to fully engage in their professional and educational pursuits. Through her work, Lidia strives to inspire others and to promote a more accessible society.  Lidia has also completed a voice writing program.

Susie Galvan, CCG: Susie Galvan is a Certified Captioner with 12 years of experience in a variety of settings. From K-12, higher education, sporting events, live concerts, theater, government jobs, court captioning, conference captioning, etc. 

Susie has traveled to a variety of states in order to provide conference live captioning for the deaf and hard of hearing community as well as the community as a whole. 

Some exciting assignments have been San Diego Charger games, Coldplay concert, Vidcon, D23, and so much more.

Sonja Hudson: Sonja Hudson began her journey in court reporting in 2003 as a hearing reporter for LA County. After obtaining her CSR license, she transitioned to the private sector as a deposition reporter.  She quickly realized that was not where she wanted to spend her career.  

In 2008, she made the decision to move into the public sector, taking a pro tem position with Riverside County Superior Court. In 2010, she accepted an officialship there, where she has worked across various areas of law, with criminal jury trials and family being her favorites. The drama you hear in those proceedings, you just can't make that stuff up.

Amber Fulper: Amber Fulper was raised in Los Angeles before relocating to Orange County to pursue her education in court reporting at South Coast College. During her studies, she completed multiple externships in both court settings and depositions, which led her to realize her passion for working in the courtroom. After obtaining her CSR license in early 2023, she secured a position with Riverside Superior Court. She has gained significant experience in family law and has covered a range of criminal proceedings.

Brooke Ryan:  Brooke graduated from Humphrey’s College in 1996. She quickly became a Pro Tem for the Sacramento Superior Court which led to an officialship in 2001. In 2003 Brooke was elected CCRA Legislative Council Representative for the Sacramento Officials Court Reporters Association which began her affinity for CCRA. It was around this same time she became a board member for her union, United Public Employees. She ultimately became Chair of the union board and held that position for numerous years. At the same time she was nominated for a Board of Directors position with CCRA. She worked her way up through the positions culminating in her first presidency in 2016. She was re-elected as president in 2017 and 2023.

In 2020, Brooke left her officialship to become a freelancer. Her goal was to come back to CCRA this time as a freelancer.

Reagan Evans:  Reagan Evans is a highly experienced court reporter from Southern California, specializing in challenging and high-demand cases. With over 30 years of experience, she has worked as a court reporter, agency owner, and freelance reporter for over 100 agencies, even providing transcripts for two presidential debates. Over the past decade, Reagan has worked on numerous multi-week trials across Southern California. She holds multiple state and national certifications, including an RPR, RMR, RDR, CRR, CBC, CCRR, and CLR. Reagan has served in leadership roles, including as President of the Inland Counties Court Reporters Association and on various advisory committees. She is passionate about mentoring new professionals, including family members, and encourages others to pursue and excel in court reporting.

 Desiree Cooks, CSR: Desiree has been a licensed California reporter since 2015 and has a vast knowledge and experience base. In addition to her profession as a court reporter, Desiree is also a social media rockstar, with nearly 30,000 followers on TikTok who keep up with her Day in the Life videos of the day-to-day fun (and grind!) as a very busy Los Angles area freelancer.

Jack Janowicz:  Jack has been a working CSR in California since 2020. He was among the first group of students to take the CSR online. Jack has taken all kinds of freelance work, from depositions to court trials and everything in between. Jack enjoys creating content on TikTok about court reporting and has garnered millions of views on the platform. Outside of reporting, Jack performs at Disneyland in Fantasmic! as well as in regional theater. 

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