It’s an honor to be nominated to run for a position on ATA’s Board of Directors. It would be a distinct privilege to serve ATA’s membership in this new capacity.
I’m an ATA-certified English>Spanish translator and a federally and state certified court interpreter. My educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and English education and a master’s degree in education with an emphasis on English-language learners. I worked as an English teacher in my native Argentina and as a Spanish teacher in a full-immersion program in the U.S. before making the transition to the T&I field. After more than 20 years as a freelance translator and interpreter in the Kansas City, Missouri, area, I currently live in Las Cruces, New Mexico, where I’m employed as a staff interpreter for the U.S. District Court of New Mexico.
As a highly motivated former independent contractor with over 20 years of experience in the T&I fields and currently a part-time freelance translator, I would bring a unique perspective to the discussions. As a fellow entrepreneur who understands their needs firsthand, I would advocate for my peers in all areas of T&I, including health care, law, and education.
During the freelance stage of my career, I served as a board member and president of the Mid-America Chapter of ATA. This experience provided me with direct knowledge of the inner workings of ATA, the needs of its T&I professionals, and the benefits of membership. I also had the opportunity to work with extremely qualified colleagues, learn from their perspectives, and advance the objectives of our local chapter and ATA.
During that time, and as a result of my passion for education and interpreting, I designed a legal interpreting certificate program for a community college in Kansas, where I was one of the instructors for about 10 years. As someone particularly interested in language access and language justice, I was a member of the Language Access Committee for the state of Missouri. More recently, I’ve become acquainted with, and wholeheartedly embraced, the promotion and understanding of standards, qualifications, and certification requirements for translators and interpreters who work in the educational field. These efforts serve to advance bilingualism, student achievement, and better home-school connections.
In closing, I’d like to add that I understand the unique challenges T&I practitioners face, as well as the pivotal role ATA can play to support and encourage best practices, professional development and training, and strong professional standards. I’m adept at working as part of a team to set and accomplish short- and long-term goals, and, if elected, I look forward to working with fellow ATA Board members representing other languages and regions of the U.S. I would like to ensure that ATA has a seat at the table as our professions undergo increasingly rapid change as we face the challenges that AI and technology bring to our daily work.
Thank you for your consideration! I hope to get your vote and look forward to serving ATA’s membership and advancing the T&I professions.