Contributions to STC
Honors and Awards
Presentations, Publications, and Web Sites
Professional Experience
Mentoring Students or New Technical Communicators
Professional Qualifications (Academic)
Community Service 

Mentoring Students or New Technical Communicators

Most of my efforts in this area are reflected in my work through STC. I have served for nine years on the chapter Scholarship Committee managing the application forms, mailings (now Web and e-mail distributed), creating Web information, participating in discussions and decisions, receiving applications, and contacting colleges in the state. I have long been a strong advocate and supporter for the Arizona State Student Chapter including attending their meetings. I’ve also been a strong advocate of reduced pricing for student members. I have participated for four years as a judge in the Central Arizona Science and Engineering Fair (CARSEF) to give students feedback on their papers for their science projects. I’ve also helped motivate the CARSEF Committee to follow up the judging by entering the winners in STC’s International Student Technical Communication Competition in the spring of 2006. I have given some chapter work to student members to give them experience and have provided feedback on that work. I have participated in many, many networking incidents with students at over a 120 chapter meetings I have attended.

Other mentoring has included similar networking with non-student attendees at chapter meetings, but also includes mentoring students and newer technical writers in the annual conference session called STC 101, which I have been participating in as a speaker for five years. At the chapter level, I was a close advisor for chapter presidents for a dozen years.

When I took over the newsletter from the previous editor, I received a small box of materials that were delivered through another individual. I never spoke with my predecessor nor received any guidance or advice. It made an impression on me, and I vowed to always do a good job of transferring my knowledge to those that followed me in any STC position. One of those people was an editor who didn’t know the software package the newsletter was created in. I gave her four two-hour lessons to learn to use it and the ins and outs of creating a newsletter. That’s an example of my commitment to bringing new leaders up with a strong safety net, yet I still encourage them to be innovative and grow in the position.

Outside of STC, I have been a volunteer roller skating instructor on Saturdays for the past four years, building self-confidence in kids as they learn to master an often scary sport. For the program, I created summary cards and sheets of the requirements for my class and the two classes above mine, and provided the printed material to my students. I’ve created a Web site with links to skating articles, skating organizations, and resources for purchasing skating supplies. I designed and published skating badges for instructors.