Wold featured in University article

Editors Note: Tracy Faldet Wold was a 1985 graduate of Clearbrook High School. She is the daughter of Joan (Faldet) Higdem and the late Jon Faldet. She was featured in an  article in the University of Minnesota Crookston Torch Publication. The magazine is for alumni and friends of the University. What follows is the article about Tracy.

Court reporting requires a highly specialized skill set - one Tracy (Faldet) Wold 1988, has been using since she was a student at the University Technical College. The court and conference reporting major was the reason she came to the Crookston campus in the first place, and what she learned prepared her for a successful career as a court reporter.

“My aunt was a legal secretary in the Twin Cities and she told me I might be interested in it,” Wold says. “Then, someone from admissions visited my high school and talked about the major.

“I remember my best friend and I came to campus for a visit,” she recalls, “We both decided to attend. Although she was my best friend and roommate, we chose different majors.”

Court and conference reporting was demanding and had a high dropout rate. Students needed to pass certain speed levels and study in the summers. “Every night we would practice stroking out the finger drills and we produced an inch of steno paper.”

After graduation, Wold moved to Fargo, North Dakota where she worked freelance, doing primarily courtroom work, district and bankruptcy court, grand jury, in addition to taking depositions. “I lived and worked in Fargo for ten years and during that time met my husband, Tim Wold. When he graduated from college, we moved to the Twin Cities.

Wold began working for the freelance agency she is still with today, as one of five court reporters based out of their own homes. “I focus on depositions only now and take anywhere from two to five depositions a week,” she explains. “I write the deposition verbatim in shorthand on my Stenograph machine, read it into the CAT software I use, edit, proof and prepare a booklet in questions and answer format.

“One of the most gratifying things of my career in court reporting is that I can provide a valuable service to others during a very difficult and stressful time in people’s lives” she says. “It’s nice to feel like I’m helping them by providing an accurate record of the proceedings.”

She also enjoy meeting and working with clients who have become regulars throughout the years. She tempers that with the emotional investment you can have when the deposition is a difficult one. Cases such as a wrongful death or ones involving children are particularly hard, but after 27 yeas on the job, Wold understands what it takes.

The foundation for her career was laid during the two years she spent in Crookston through the courses she took but also through the lasting friendships she make. “Earning my associate degree exposed me to a broader knowledge base.” Wold explains. “Along with my degree I also have great memories of attending football and hockey games, socializing in Bede Lounge and  building relationships that have lasted me a lifetime.

A member of the Court Reporting Club, Wold was the recipient of a scholarship for outstanding students in 1987. She graduated with distinction at the end of winter quarter of 1988, prepared for her career as a court reporter.

“I enjoy the variety of my work,” Wold shares. “During depositions, I learn a great deal about topics in a myriad of subjects from experts in the field. It makes my work interesting and it definitely keeps me from ever being bored.”