By Aiessa Moyna | STC President
My STC journey began during my freshman year at New Mexico Tech. As a student in the technical communication program, I learned that participation in the local STC student chapter was required. Membership wasn’t mandated because many of us had student jobs that paid just enough to cover books, supplies, and essentials like food and shelter. We were, however, expected to attend the monthly gatherings, which usually featured a short business meeting, a speaker, and refreshments (free food is always a draw on college campuses). Running for chapter office was optional, although anyone willing to serve as president, vice president, secretary, or treasurer was eligible to have their STC student membership covered by the chapter.
During my first three years in the program, I somehow managed to scrape together the annual student dues — I figured that if I was going to attend the meetings anyway, I might as well get all the other benefits of membership, including the publications, which proved to be great resources for research papers. As a senior, I served as president of the student chapter, earned membership in the Sigma Tau Chi honor society, and presented at my first STC annual conference (before we called it the Summit). During my time at New Mexico Tech, I found that the most valuable benefit of my affiliation with STC was the ready-made network it provided. Participation in the student chapter enabled me to attend “professional” chapter meetings in Albuquerque, Las Cruces, and Los Alamos, which led to work-study opportunities, internships, and eventually my first paid job as a technical communicator after graduation.
In the years since, I have continued to benefit from the Society’s formal educational offerings, STC-level and regional conferences, job boards, mentoring, chapter and SIG meetings with speakers who introduced me to new concepts and tools, participation in local and regional competitions as both a submitter and judge, plus opportunities to network and learn from others working in the field. I also have continued to find that I get the most from my STC membership when I give something back and participate as an active member and volunteer.
As I begin my service as president of the Society, I’m excited to see what the next year brings. I am honored to serve the organization that has consistently supported me throughout my career, and I look forward to meeting new people and making new connections. Most of all, I’m eager to work with the Board of Directors and STC staff to continue offering programs and services that will help other technical communicators advance in their own careers.
What have been the most valuable aspects of STC membership for you? What programs and services do you find most useful? What new offerings would you like to see? Please get in touch! I would love to know what you think STC is doing well, what we could do better, and how we can support you as a tech comm professional, educator, or student, or as an STC leader. g
AIESSA MOYNA (amoyna.stc@gmail.com) is the 2022-2023 president of STC. Her recurring column will provide updates and insights on Board activities and solicit member feedback to guide ongoing decision-making.
