Goshen College ASL-English Interpreter majors spend semester at internships in Alaska, Minnesota and Arizona

GOSHEN, Ind. – The job of interpreting between American Sign Language (ASL) and English can take a person into interesting settings. This semester, four Goshen College seniors who are ASL Interpreting majors are fulfilling their required internships at locations around the country and have had opportunities to interpret for a state legislature session, a hockey game and a student rally.

From Jan. 22 to April 6, senior Nick Miller (Cincinnati, Ohio) is working for the Communication Services for Deaf in Saint Paul, Minn., seniors Alana King (Danville, Ill.) and Sarah Lintz (Sylvania, Ohio) are working for East High School in Anchorage, Alaska, and senior Mary Roberts (Dayton, Ohio) is at the Valley Services for Deaf (VSD) in Phoenix, Ariz.

Miller appeared on the local ABC station’s news after interpreting for a student rally petitioning for lower tuition at state universities. He estimated that there were 15 speakers and 500-700 students present, along with two other interpreters. Since the temperature was well below freezing, the interpreters split duties into five-minutes segments.

“This was my first experience at platform interpreting,” said Miller. “The bigger crowd and prominent speakers were intimidating.” He distinguished platform interpreting further by explaining that, due to the large crowd, interpreters use larger gestures for visibility and sign only the main concepts.

Miller also interpreted at a session of the Minnesota House of Representatives. “I’ve experienced a lot of ups and downs,” said Miller. “I’ve witnessed a couple listening to their baby’s first heart beat and I’ve heard a hospitalized woman talk to a nurse about her attempted suicide by overdose.”

King and Lintz work with 14 deaf students and eight staff interpreters at East High School, which houses the Alaska State School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ASSFHH). During the week, they either interpret or observe an interpreter in a wide range of settings, including high school and elementary school classes, nurse clinics and a ski trip to the Alyeska ski resort.

“When I told some people that I was doing my internship in Alaska during the winter, they thought I was crazy. They couldn’t understand why I would want to come to a place that had five hours of daylight and freezing temperatures,” said Lintz.

Roberts is one of two interns at VSD. Like King and Lintz, she does both observing and actual interpreting, depending on the nature of the assignment.

Roberts calls her internship an “hour-by-hour” endeavor. The VSD Web site posts her three or four assignments for the next day at 5 p.m. the evening before, although Roberts said, “There is a 50 percent chance that my assignments will change at the last minute!” Thus far, she has helped interpret classes, job interviews, a cardiologist and a hockey game.

The first 15 minutes of every assignment involves getting to know her client and getting accustomed to his or her signing style. “It’s just like speaking,” said Roberts. “Someone who is born in the North speaks differently than someone from the South.” Other factors that change signing nuances are whether the parents are deaf or if they attended a school for the deaf, as opposed to public schools.

Roberts enjoys the variety in her internship. “I haven’t had two days like each other, and each new assignment is a challenge,” she said. “I really like meeting people and interacting with them. My favorite part of my job is hearing their stories.”

There are 31 ASL-English Interpreter majors at Goshen College. Associate Professor of American Sign Language Myron Yoder, the program director, said that interpreters are guaranteed work right out of college, with initial wages ranging from $20-$40 per hour.

Although ASL classes have been available at Goshen College for nearly two decades, a four-year degree in American Sign Language Interpreting began in 2002, and the college now offers both a major and minor. This program offers students the opportunity to appreciate the language, culture, contributions and history of the deaf community in the United States. Goshen is one of only three ASL/English programs in the state of Indiana and it is the only Mennonite college to offer a four-year degree in ASL/English Interpreting. For more information about Goshen College’s ASL Interpreting major, visit www.goshen.edu/asl.

– by Eric Bixler, for The Goshen College Record

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.