Mia Penwarden

As a Hansard reporter, I am responsible for the reporting of proceedings in the Houses of Parliament. This includes accurate reporting of the speeches and interactions in the Chamber through editing skills, research, and a knowledge of the legislative framework and parliamentary guide to procedure. Performing these tasks to the best of my ability improves the outcomes for our clients, the members, as they have access to their speeches reported quickly and error free.

As part of the Fifth Parliament Hansard Publishing Project, I was responsible for preparing entire debates for publishing. This involved editing other language practitioners' work to ensure an accurate reflection of what the members' said, as well as fact-checking all names of places, names, bodies, and Acts. This task also required a high-level understanding of parliamentary procedure to ensure that what transpired in the House is documented correctly in terms of the Hansard style guide for parliamentary procedure. The above enhanced publication quality significantly and allowed the team members of the project to update and improve the uniformity guide used by all language practitioners.

This position required collaboration with the International Office at Stellenbosch University, as well as the lecturers that offer short courses to international students from different universities around the globe. The goal was to provide a seamless experience to students that came to visit the University of Stellenbosch as part of their degree requirements by responding promptly to their enquiries and addressing all concerns in a professional manner.

As a teacher, I developed strong relationships with students, parents, and colleagues by creating open lines of communication and establishing clear expectations for both students and parents in terms of what to expect from my classes. As a very young teacher, I quickly learned to set boundaries, model appropriate conduct for my students, and enforce my classroom rules and consequences.

As a tutor, I facilitated group sessions for first and second-year students in political science. These sessions focused on enhancing understanding of the concepts of political science through theory and the use of real-life examples.