April 2025

I’ve been learning a lot recently while putting together a digital portfolio. Doing so has sparked plenty of reminiscing, both the good and the not-so-good. I intend to share these memories with you and hope they bring you joy because they do for me.

I learned to type on a keyboard when I was in 2nd or 3rd grade while attending the now historic St. Patrick's School on Tipperary Hill in Syracuse, NY. Recently, I went down a deep rabbit hole researching the career of a stenographer, specifically court reporters because, honestly, I find it fascinating. Especially if you’re into true crime as a form of entertainment..

One of my grandmothers, Dilys, was an executive secretary before she had children. I thought she had been a court reporter—hence the aforementioned deep dive. I always heard her called a typist and assumed that meant she was transcribing court proceedings at lightning speed akin to my skills on AIM. I was wrong. My mistake.

While studying at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia I took a part-time job as a legal assistant in a law office and learned a lot about my grandmother and her role as a typist and secretary. This was a fine job, very early in my career. I gained experience in customer service, office etiquette, and the importance of a good filing system; both digital and physical. It was also where I learned a very important life lesson: Dawn dish soap and dishwasher detergent are not the same thing. That was a mistake. However, it cracks me up when I think about it.

In addition to building my portfolio and reminiscing, I recently ripped out the dishwasher in my own home and I don't regret it. 

Dislikes dishes, 

-colline.