By John Clement
This past May, several STC Florida Chapter members, as well as a travel group of 11 students and new grads from the Future Technical Communicators club at UCF, made their way to Bloomington, Minnesota (near Minneapolis) for the annual STC Technical Communication Summit conference. This year’s theme, “Tech Comm In Action,” featured a variety of session types: Intensives, How Stuff Works, Lightning Talks, Poster Sessions, and Panel Discussions. Attendees gained valuable knowledge, built connections, and volunteered throughout the conference, making it a worthwhile experience. Several STC Florida members presented at sessions, too! First-timers as well as returning members were able to have a great time at each step of the way and bring a wealth of experiences back with them.
After the trip, our chapter members have been able to take a look back at the trip in multiple ways including hosting a recap meeting, writing articles and LinkedIn posts about their experiences, and even publishing videos and vlogs that helped capture the moments. Let’s see all that our community brought in and got out of this great learning and traveling experience.
Our STC Florida and FTC @ UCF attendees were: Julia Southwick, Bethany Aguad, Rachael Swertgefer, Jessica Kreger, Mirhonada Studevant, John Clement, Dominick Chiovari, Chantal Cyrier, Henry Keating, Jonathan Williams, Cassandra Ortega, Marilyn Nguyen, Leela Smith, Priscilla Allen, Joy Carandang, and Delaney Gunnell.
STC SUMMIT OFFICIAL PHOTO ALBUM
Washlines – STC Florida’s Summit Recap Meeting
Washlines
In September, our monthly chapter meeting was the annual return of Washlines, our STC Summit recap, now virtual. Bethany Aguad, Delaney Gunnell, Marilyn Nguyen, and John Clement formed the panel and delivered insights from one of the sessions they attended or presented at during the conference.
STC Florida’s Summit Presenters
Several STC Florida members presented at the conference! (Reference: Summit 2024 program schedule)
- “Tech Comm Skills Through Tabletop Gaming” with Bethany Aguad, Rachael Swertgefer, and Julia Southwick
- “Transforming Product Documentation” with Bethany Aguad
- “Interviewing Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)” panel with Bethany Aguad, Rachael Swertgefer, Nicki Bleil, and Amanda Patterson (moderator)
- “Exploring Policies and Procedures” panel with John Clement, Kelly Smith, Marilyn Woelk, and Ann Marie Queeney (moderator)
- “New Attendee Orientation” with John Clement and Kylie Jacobsen
- “Turning Tech Comm Into Marcom” with Jessica Kreger
- “Technical Editing Special Interest Group (TESIG) Best Editing Practices” with Jessica Kreger, Ann Marie Queeney, Rachel Petkewich, Kelly Scrank (moderator)
On top of all this, our student volunteers from UCF engaged with many different presentations by serving as assistants or room moderators for the Summit’s presenters.
Recognizing Jessica Kreger’s Associate Fellow Award
Jessica Kreger, a dedicated member of the Florida Chapter and STC as a whole, not only presented a session at this year’s Summit but also was awarded the prestigious Associate Fellow Award for her extensive service in STC!
Cited from STC: “Associate Fellow is one of the three honorary ranks in the Society. It is the second highest rank that the Society can confer upon a member, Fellow being the highest. This honor recognizes members for their outstanding achievements in and contributions to the arts and science of technical communication, and for sustained and significant service to STC.”
We are extremely proud of Jessica for this accomplishment and are glad that many of our members could be there to celebrate her!
At the most recent Washlines meeting, Jessica spoke further on the topic of her award and presentation. It can be found at the timestamp 6:00 in the STC Florida Washlines meeting recording.
FTC’s Travel Vlog and Attendee Interview Videos
NEW: STC SUMMIT 2024 VLOG
“In May 2024, I met ten student volunteers for the first time as we traveled to Bloomington, Minnesota, where we facilitated sessions and learned about our future careers as technical communicators.” – Marilyn Nguyen, FTC attendee and video creator
FTC Attendee Spotlights – ”Why go to the STC Summit?”
This video contains a highlight reel of what each FTC attendee’s goals were as they prepared to attend this year’s Summit.
FTC Attendee Spotlights – Tech Comm Journeys
A follow-up to the highlight reel, each attendee in this video gives a deeper dive about what their tech comm journeys up to now have looked like and what their future goals in the field are.
More from FTC’s trip:
- LinkedIn – FTC Attendee Spotlight Graphics
- Instagram – FTC’s Trip Recap Photos
- LinkedIn – FTC’s Trip Recap
- FTC Summit Fundraiser Insights
- Bonus Video – Donor Thank You Video – A thank you to FTC’s donors who, combined with funding from UCF, helped make FTC’s big trip possible.
- A successful GoFundMe campaign!
- Book sales with Sigma Tau Delta in April 2024 (Photo, LinkedIn Post)
- FTC T-Shirt Sales: During the spring, FTC sold t-shirts and hoodies with a brand new design and colors! They were a good way for the club to rep FTC pride, especially in group photos, and a great way for anyone to support the club.
Testimonials, Reflections, and Publications from Our Attendees
“This past weekend was an amazing whirlwind as I attended my first STC Summit. I got to meet some amazing leaders in the industry, catch up with friends, and deep dive into some fantastic topics. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do or see, or really what would grab my attention. Other than the 2 sessions I was on (one panel and one intensive), I went in with a very loose plan and an open mind to meet folks, ask questions, learn, and have fun.”
- SPOTLIGHT ARTICLES: Rachael wrote a series of articles doing a deeper dive and retrospective on 6 of the sessions she attended. They are up on her blog. Check them out and learn great insights!
- Transforming Product Documentation by Bethany Aguad
- Networking 101: Building Professional Relationships by Raymond Kim
- Writing a Book Review for STC Tech Comm Journal by Jackie Damrau
- Finding the Right Fit by Suzzane Kelchner
- Presentation Skills Training Camp by Nicky Bleiel
- Docs As Tests: Write Resilient Docs by Manny Silva
“This was my second trip to the conference, and it was a joy to greet the individuals I first met last year, as well as to make new connections! I must thank UCF Future Technical Communicators (FTC) leadership for the hard work it took to get all eleven of us UCF volunteers our plane tickets, hotel rooms, and places at the conference. Everything turned out so smoothly! I am proud to have been among both my peers from the previous year’s conference returning and the new attendees who got to build connections and skills from the experience. I hope to see Minnesota again before long!”
- SPOTLIGHT ARTICLE: “My Experience at the STC Summit 2023” — Dominick also has an article he wrote on his conference visit last year, the 2023 Summit in Atlanta, GA. Check it out for additional insights including retrospectives on what he learned, favorite moments, and conference advice!
“I’m incredibly grateful to have attended my first STC Summit in Bloomington, MN. Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of meeting fellow Tech Comm students and professionals dedicated to advancing our field. I am so thankful to have the opportunity to learn from and engage with talented individuals across our global community. […] I arrived in Minnesota alongside my peers from FTC @ UCF, eager to explore the nuances of Instructional Design, Technical Editing, and User Experience. I left the conference with countless resources and insights, heightened passions for Dynamic Documentation, Graphic Design, Soft Skills, and Taxonomy, and memories that will last a lifetime!”
- SPOTLIGHT ARTICLE: “What I Learned About Tech Comm at the 2024 STC Summit” — Joy also submitted and published an article about her first-time Summit experience in the STC Instructional Design & Learning Special Interest Group’s newsletter, IDeal!
- Also read: Joy’s LinkedIn post on the article and the IDL SIG Newsletter
“Multiple positives collided this year: the high number of attendees [our FTC travel group] worked to bring (11!), friendships built between our travel companions, learning together, networking extensively, and more. […] This year I had the honor to serve on the STC Conference Committee for the first time, supporting the Summit’s New Attendee Experience. It was a large responsibility for me but I was grateful to support and collaborate with our team. […] An excellent Summit with wonderful people. Here’s to the next!”
“I was delighted to see so many of my Florida Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication (STC)/UCF Future Technical Communicators (FTC) peeps […] Knowledge management supports the exchange of ideas. The international Society for Technical Communication Summit is jam-packed with fantastic ideas and thoughtful discussions.”
“I went into the conference looking to immerse myself in the field; notably, to sharpen my skills and learn from others as I step foot into the industry. From a student perspective, I expected to feel intimidated – though, I came out feeling inspired. I was able to hear from amazing individuals from all sides of Technical Communication, inciting a feeling of community and an endless desire for shared knowledge.”
“Thanks to UCF Future Technical Communicators (FTC) I had the amazing opportunity to go to the STC Summit for the first time last weekend. As it being my first time I didn’t know what to expect. I was opened to everything and anything. During the Summit I learned so much and met amazing people who are successful in the same field I want to be in. I left the summit feeling inspired. I’m so excited to continue learning everything about the field and nurturing the connections I made at the conference.”
“I have just returned from Bloomington, Minnesota where I attended the annual STC (Society for Technical Communication) Summit. The theme was centered around “Tech Comm in Action” with a series of seminars, intensives, panels, and how-to events on various areas of technical communication. I have learned so much, and have been with increased confidence and motivation to share more in the upcoming weeks about topics not just in technical communication but how it also ties with my electrical engineering background.”
“This year, I went into the weekend with a “personal theme” in mind and chose my sessions and activities around this idea. My personal theme was Transferrable Skills, or lessons from Summit that I can use immediately in my daily life. I volunteered at and attended many different sessions to fulfill this personal theme […] I want to thank all of the aforementioned speakers, as well as my incredible FTC family and STC Florida role models for making this summit even better than the last!”
“While at the conference, I focused on sessions that would help me in my current internship, increase my knowledge of new tools, and prepare me for my upcoming job search as I enter my last year of college. The conference, like last year, gave me concrete insights into the corporate world of tech comm that’s nearly impossible to get in a traditional academic setting. […] In all, this Summit served as a bridge between my spring semester, where I continued to learn tech comm skills in an academic setting, to this summer, where I’m putting those skills to use while learning new ones on the job. As I felt last summer after my first STC Summit, I am thrilled and grateful I could attend, especially with such an amazing group.”
“The Summit exceeded my expectations, providing the chance to speak with individuals who are clearly talented in their respective fields. I also discovered a strong sense of community, united by a commitment to improving documentation and sharing knowledge. […] I left the Summit feeling inspired and confident in my abilities to become a great technical writer.”
More Photos!
Closing
Interested in going to next year’s STC Summit? Look out for updates from STC and us at the Florida Chapter for conference details as they come. We also plan to gather interest early through an upcoming survey. This will be a way for STC Florida attendees to know who else is going and possibly even arrange to be travel buddies. After everything this Summit brought, we can’t wait for the next!