Who i am

Hello! My name is Stephen Shahan. I am 42 years old. I earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology, with a minor in history, from Texas State University in 2003. I began pursuing a master’s in technical communication at Texas Tech University in 2021.

I am married to my high school sweetheart, Marsi. She is a highly skilled registered nurse and works in the obstetrics department at our local hospital. We have a 5-year-old daughter, Landry. In the small amount of leisure time I have, I enjoy sports, history, grilling, working around the house, old video games, assembling things, technology, and trucks.

What I do

I am a senior Engineering Standards Technical Writer for Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC), based in Johnson City, Texas. PEC is the largest electric distribution cooperative in the world, providing electricity for the fast-growing area around Austin. My primary responsibility in this position is editing and proofing electric distribution construction drawings and material specifications. I work in the office and at home. I have been with PEC since earning my bachelor’s degree.

I transitioned to technical communication in 2018 after spending 14 years primarily writing and editing copy for print and digital marketing communications for PEC. That year, I transferred to the Engineering Standards Department and become the Cooperative’s first-ever formally designated technical writer. I work with a team of three electrical engineers and a CAD designer to create and edit specifications for electric distribution infrastructure construction. I also design, write, and edit material specifications and many other documents for our department and others.

Our department is tasked with an enormous library of specifications to create, modernize, edit, and publish, and it is imperative for these specifications to be accurate because they affect system efficiency, reliability, and integrity, as well as employee safety, consumer safety, and corporate financials.

What I want to accomplish at Texas Tech

My principal objective in Texas Tech’s MATC program is straightforward: to earn a formal education in technical communication. While the extensive writing practice involved in earning my undergraduate degree has been helpful in my writing- and editing-based professional positions, I want a granular, world-class technical communication education. But I’m not pursuing this education only because it’s logical to have a field-relevant graduate degree. I’m pursuing it because I am sincerely interested in the field, because I have been successful in it, and because I enjoy it. And I’m pursuing it at Texas Tech because I believe this institution offers the best technical communication education in the United States.

The technical communication courses I’ve taken, the material I’ve read, and my professional technical writing experience have confirmed my aptitude and love for the field. I was — and still am — proficient at writing for marketing communications. And I enjoy that style of writing to an extent. But I never reveled in writing fluff — instead, I have always had more appreciation for the dryer communications I’ve created and edited in marcom — bylaws, procedures, brochures, infographics, press releases, and such. But still, these were not the types of documents I wanted to work on forever. Instead, I have always envisioned working on technical manuals, instructional documents, and other similar deliverables. 

Through four semesters in the MATC program, I have immersed myself in the course materials, text books, instruction, research, and assignments. I absorb technical communication material like my five-year-old daughter does with everything she encounters. I am truly enamored with this field, and I want to learn as much as I can about it. 

Career-wise, I want to continue in the technical communication field for the rest of my life. Professionally, I want this to continue at PEC, the only employer I’ve had in my adult life. PEC is a wonderful place to work and takes great care of its employees.

For my career to be successful long-term, and for the integrity of my work, my department, and PEC, it is essential I am formally trained in technical communication. Additionally, if I do leave PEC in the future, I want a reputable technical communication education to stand on, because I don’t want to lack a relevant degree while applying for technical communication positions at companies that aren’t familiar with my abilities. And I want to work in technical communication, not marketing communications.

I want technical communication to remain a personal passion for the rest of my life. I enjoy it that much. And while I have extensive professional writing experience, I still need to develop and refine my technical communication knowledge and skills to be able to thrive in this rewarding field. It is an honor to achieve this in the MATC program at Texas Tech University.

Stephen at a glance

Education

San Saba High School, 1998
Navarro College, 2000
Texas State University, 2003
Texas Tech University, Enrolled 2021

Employment

Pedernales Electric Cooperative, 2003 – Current:

Engineering Standards Technical Writer, 2018 – Current
Records Manager, 2016 – 2018
Communications Editor, 2005 – 2016
Correspondence Representative, 2003 – 2005

Personal

Married to: Marsi Miller Shahan, RN
Children: Landry Joy Shahan