'Terp Friends

This picture was taken last week at my friend and mentor, Mari's, wedding. These are a special group of people. These are my interpreter friends and coworkers. There are many dear interpreting friends not pictured but I just wanted to post this pic as a reminder of what they mean to me. 
      As background info I have wanted to be an interpreter since I was 12 years old. One of my YW leaders told me her brother was serving a sign language mission and I thought that was the coolest thing ever. I decided right then and there I would go on an ASL mission and then I would become an ASL interpreter. And then life happened... nothing like I had planned. I married my dear Jeff two years before I could even send in my papers to go on a mission. Our plan was to get Jeff through school and then we could move up to SLC so that I could go to school for interpreting. And then life happened again... I got pregnant with our beautiful Skylee. We felt strongly that we wanted to be close to family to raise our kids so I gave up my dream of being an interpreter (so I thought) to move back to St. George to be close to family. 
     Fast forward down the road a few years with some amazing people who believed in me and I started to believe I could somehow miraculously (with the help of Deaf and interpreter mentors) get my certification without a formal education/training. It was a LOT of hard work but I finally took and passed my Utah Novice (entry level) certification. I truly couldn't have done it without the help of wonderful friends like Mari and Jackie. 
    But the battle wasn't over- you are required to advance your certification to a Professional level within three years or you will lose your certification. They have this amazing program called ICAN (Interpreter Certification Advancement Network) up in SLC whose sole purpose is to help you advance your certification and pass the INCREDIBLY challenging Professional level test. SO one time per month myself and two of my dear, sweet, wonderful, fun interpreting friends (Andrea and Robin) would drive the five hours up there for a three hour workshop or a four day immersion weekend (NO talking, all signing, workshops games etc) and then drive the five hours back. It was a blast and absolutely exhausting and truly a blessing. I couldn't have passed without it. BUT because of the program I was able to pass my professional and not only that, they paid for me to take my National Certification test and I passed! 
     All of this was such a huge blessing because it was about this time that I found out we were moving to Arizona for Jeff's work. Thanks to everyone's help and the ICAN program I was able to be certified so I could continue to interpret in Arizona. The timing couldn't have been more perfect- right after I passed my national certification they started requiring Bachelor's degrees to even be able to test but I was grandfathered in because of the time I passed. I received both my certifications in the mail when I got to Arizona.  I worked so dang hard for my Utah professional I didn't want to let it lapse so I have been keeping up both certifications which was also a blessing because we ended up coming back to Utah. 
    SO in a nutshell I didn't think it was possible but because of this wonderful group of people who were patient and helpful and supportive, I have been able to interpret for the past six years and I LOVE my job. Sometimes it is SUPER tough since you are in a new situation every day and often completely on your own. It is always fun when you get to team with someone and work with them. I adore these wonderful people. It takes a unique person to be able to do what we do and love it. 
    If someone would have told me I would be going to a different job every day- sometimes up in front of hundreds of people, sometimes in very private situations, sometimes in very important educational settings, sometimes in life-threatening situations, sometimes in life-changing decision making processes, and other important times in peoples life, and that I would love every minute of it, I'm not sure I would have believed them. But man, do I love it. 
    With this new little one coming and with the medical problems I have been facing and he will be facing, I have had to back off quite a bit from interpreting. I had to give up a class this semester which was really tough for me. But I was amazed at the support of my fellow interpreters and the clients. I will be taking next semester off to be home with the babe and go through all the casting and such for his club feet, and I think I will miss it. A lot! College interpreting is one of my favorite places to be, that and medical interpreting. But I am at that time in my life where my family needs me more. I'm sure I will still do odd jobs here and there but nothing consistent. I am super excited for our little man to get here though and for me to be able to focus on my family. I'm truly just feeling so grateful for the blessings in my life right now. I am so blessed!