Dear Friends & Colleagues,
All is not rainbows and butterflies in the world these days. Nor is it all sunshine within our own profession. The threat of AI looms overheard. The economy congeals. Inflation forces us to make aggravating and sometimes desperate choices. Meanwhile, this year multiple higher education programs shut their doors forever. Glendon, my alma mater, came under threat as well, from university bureaucrats who don’t understand the value of an internationally renowned education.
The silver lining is always there, however, for those willing to reach for it. The robots haven’t replaced us yet! The Glendon Master’s Program persists enigmatically on, defying the odds as instructors and students rally to superhuman heights to keep the degree alive. I’ll be offering a workshop for the Glendon Give-Back Labs this February to help the students raise funds to hire back some of their international teachers. It’s kind of like a high stakes school bake sale. You’re welcome to come and contribute to the cause!
June found me in Indianapolis with NAJIT and October led me to Oklahoma, where I had the honor of leading the orientation for interpreters new to the certification process. In November, I sat down with Maritza Vazquez, the host of Interpreters & Interrupeters, for a conversation on legal interpreting. You can listen to our interview wherever you get your podcasts, or watch on Youtube for the video version.
I had the pleasure of spending the bulk of my year coaching students in my Court Interpreting Master Class: Advanced Spanish. It was an intense ride! For months before it began, we traded resources, evaluations and feedback. Then we took off with a bang in April, with blind runs, drills, and more feedback. Day after day, we slogged determinedly on. In June, we celebrated the culmination of our class with an Interpreter’s Got Talent performance evening in which at least one student interpreted while standing on her head! In August the students sat their exams and in November the results finally arrived. The news brought heartbreak to some and joy to others, but the students’ unwavering comradery and support continues to blow me away.
Our class has once again doubled the national pass rate. I am beyond thrilled for my new federally certified colleagues, and extremely grateful to my rock star team who provided additional instruction, materials, and moral support.
And in other news, I started a TikTok account! I’ve begun recording video shorts on the trials and tribulations of medical, court and conference interpreting.
Next year, monthly webinars will be back! Stay tuned for upcoming additions to our Hall of Fame and next year’s schedule. There’s still time to apply to our winter Master Class, suitable for interpreters of all levels and languages hoping to improve their skills and pass exams.
The wheel of the year turns on. I wish you all a fun and family-filled Thanksgiving Day. As a little “thanks” from me for taking the time to read these words, here is a code for you, valid for ONE On Demand offering. Offer is valid until December 1st, 2025. Happy thanksgiving!
CODE: THANKSGIVINGSECRET