Cynthia (Cindy) Pao was recognized as an STC Fellow at the 2024 Summit’s Honors Event. According to the STC website, “Becoming an STC Fellow is a lifelong journey of achievement, an honor bestowed by the Society upon Associate Fellows who have continued to make exemplary contributions to the arts and science of technical communication, and for sustained and significant service to STC. These contributions involve significant achievements that advance the profession and its recognition.”
In light of her honor, the SIG reached out to Ms. Pao to learn more about her. A Q&A with her follows.
Could you tell us a bit about yourself and your career in technical communication? What do you consider to be some of your greatest accomplishments?
I kind of fell into the tech comm career. After graduating college with a bachelor’s in English, I got a job as an admin assistant in an IT department. There I met the tech writer who was my first mentor and teacher. After a department re-org, I became the tech writer for the company’s IT department in Minneapolis. Since that first job, I’ve been a tech writer at four oilfield-services companies, a software company, and the IT department for our county’s healthcare system.
While this is not a tangible example of one of my greatest accomplishments, I’d say one of my greatest strengths is building such good rapport with the people I work with. I’m a tech writer who knows how to read code, knows how a computer network is set up, and gets along well with all the different personality types. For specific accomplishments, it would have to be writing two white papers that won STC competition awards. To me, not only did the judges (my peers) rate the quality high, but the white papers were useful to the users as well.
What has your STC journey been like?
I joined STC in 1996. I had just officially become a tech writer, and all the tech writers were attending the STC conference, so I joined! I became an active member in 2000, when I started attending the STC Houston meetings. My first volunteer assignment was serving as the hospitality manager for the 2001 Region 5 conference. Since that role, I’ve managed banquets, competitions, and programs. I’ve been a member of the STC South Central Texas admin council several times, as well as a management member for the IDL SIG. I was a Director at Large for the STC Board for two years. Currently, I’m active on the Body of Knowledge committee. I also try to do conference sessions when I can think of a good topic.
What advice do you have for anyone interested in volunteering with the SIG or with STC in general?
All the communities need volunteers, and we welcome any and all! If there’s a skill you want to learn, STC is the place to learn it. We try to provide a safe environment for you to try new things. Plus, when you volunteer with a community, it can help your career. Several of my jobs have been a result of my STC membership.