June 7, 2022

Reflecting on my last year in the American Sign Language/English Interpreting Program at

Western Oregon University shows me how I have grown into an entry-level interpreter. At this time, I

have completed 5 years of studying ASL, 2 years of an Interpreter Training Program, and a 10-week

interpreting internship which have shaped me into the interpreter that I have become. Over the 5 years

that I have been studying to become an interpreter, I have learned about the importance of Deaf

culture, language preferences, the interpreting process, various interpreting settings, the roles and

responsibilities of an interpreter, the Entry-to-Practice Competencies and Code of Professional

Conduct for ASL/English Interpreters, and so many other concepts that form my unique interpreting

process. In Winter of 2022, I took Practicum class where we interpreted in a class at Western Oregon

University where there wasn’t a Deaf consumer which allowed me to see how all of the skills that I

had been learning could be used in a live interpreting situation.

Although Practicum class was a great introduction into the field of interpreting, Internship

showed me what it was like to be an interpreter with a consumer who could give feedback. I am

incredibly thankful for the experience that I was able to have while I interned at an elementary and

high school with a team of interpreters. The interpreters that I had the privilege to work with were

incredibly kind and encouraged me as I learned how to become a better interpreter. Through

internship, I was able to experience a variety of consumers including kindergarteners, 5th graders, high

schoolers, and Teachers of the Deaf. One of my favorite experiences from internship was interpreting

at Outdoor School where we were able to interpret outdoors in whatever weather occurred. Outdoor

School really challenged me as I attempted to transfer meaning for silly camp songs and crazy stories.

Internship also showed me how I can show up to a classroom and be prepared for whatever may come

as well as how I can review prep material when it is available. Throughout my time at Western Oregon

University and through internship, I was able to grow exponentially in my interpreting skills and look

forward to becoming an interpreter in a K-12 setting.