Interpreting

Hello!  I took a break for a little bit, but I am now back!  These past few months have been really busy!! In May I graduated from high school.  I had a 4.0 GPA, which I am super proud of.  I had an incredible senior year and it is crazy to think that I have moved onto another stage of life. 

During the summer I worked as a market research intern.  I would research the company's competitors, create a profile, and present it to the CEO.   I also had the opportunity to interpret for a deaf boy named Ben.  I knew him from my neighborhood and the company asked if I would interpret for him during the summer.  It didn't make sense to hire a full time interpreter because for the most part we were researching on computers by ourselves.  But they needed a way to communicate with him during the occasional meeting, when he presented, and to give him directions.  Ben suggested that I interpret for him because I would be working there also and I knew ASL.  

I accepted this challenge and I am so glad I did! I knew it would be difficult because well... I am deaf also!  I sometimes don't hear things and I need to read lips.  Interpreters face the deaf person the whole time and sign, but I couldn't do that.  So during the meetings I would turn around and listen/read lips and then turn around and sign for him.  It wasn't easy but we made it work.  I'm thankful that Ben was very patient with me.

I took 4 levels of ASL in high school, so I knew ASL but I was nowhere near perfect.  I learned so many new business vocabulary words during that first week.  This opportunity definitely improved my signing and I learned a lot more!  

It's funny to think that I was a deaf person interpreting for another deaf person.  In my level 4 ASL class in high school my teacher encouraged all of us to think about becoming an interpreter.  I always brushed this off and never really listened to the details of becoming an interpreter because I knew I would never be an interpreter.  I'm deaf!  But funny enough I was actually an interpreter during the summer! 

I'm glad I had the opportunity to interpret for Ben.  My signing greatly improved and I learned a lot.  I'm very grateful for my cochlear implant that allows me to hear and talk with people. 

I started college 2 weeks ago and it has been great!  Come back next week because I have some cool stuff to share!  Oh by the way you can get email updates when I post if you enter your email on the right side of the blog under "Follow by email".