On August 27th, Found in Translation held the program celebration for our most recent class of medical interpreters – the Spring Class of 2022! Having completed the certificate training, these women are now ready to take the next step in their careers and begin working as professional interpreters. Like the class this year, this event was once again held on Zoom – making it possible for guests to tune in from around the world to join the festivities.
We are so proud of each and every one of our newest alumnae! Completing the medical interpreter certificate training is a momentous achievement, but it is also only the beginning. For the Spring Class of 2022, their Medical Interpreting Certificate is a ticket to an exciting new career path, and our team and community are here to support them with everything that they need to thrive as an interpreter – not just now, but for years to come.
Thank you to everyone in our community who has supported (and will continue to support) these women as they progress in their professional journeys and provide critical language access at a time when it is needed more than ever.
“I found a tremendous amount of encouragement, opportunity, and hope for a better future and to be a better version of myself. The skills I have gained at the program will enable me to contribute to my community in a positive way. I appreciate all that [Found in Translation does]: changing the lives of so many hard-working women, providing them the opportunity for a new career and a better life. I am honored to be a part of [this] program.”
Adeeba Shah, Spring Class of 2022 Graduate Speaker
Leadership Transition Update
Today (September 1st), Found in Translation turns eleven years old!
Maria and Kelly at the Class of 2018 Program Celebration
We enter our twelfth year on the precipice of exciting change. The search for our next Executive Director is underway. In the meantime, to give ourselves the time to make a thoughtful and smooth leadership transition, the board of directors has appointed Kelly Lynch as Interim Executive Director.
Kelly has been with Found in Translation for seven years, serving as Deputy Director for the past five years. As she takes on this role, Kelly is looking forward to supporting our driven and talented team throughout the transition period while we identify our next Executive Director.
After leading Found in Translation for eleven years, Maria is transitioning to a part-time role and will be working closely with Kelly and the board of directors to support the search and transition. She is excited for Found in Translation’s next chapter!
Alumnae Spotlight – Party in the Park!
On Saturday, July 9th, Found in Translation hosted an in-person gathering at Christian Herter Park in Brighton to take professional headshots for the Spring 2022 class, and to celebrate our Executive Director Maria Vertkin ahead of her move to St. Louis. Students arrived dressed up and ready for their headshots by our longtime supporter and photographer Feda Eid. In between shoots, students socialized with alumnae, staff, and board members – and many brought snacks and cultural dishes for a potluck. Children in attendance enjoyed munching on snacks and playing cornhole with each other, parents, and staff.
As our program was virtual again this year, this was some people’s first time meeting each other in-person – like Sindy Esperanza Castillo (2021) and her former language coach, Juliana Cardona (2019). Another outdoor gathering for alumnae is planned for later this fall.
Rolling Applications Continue:Now Accepting Applications for Spring 2023
Our application for the Fall 2022 medical interpreter training is now closed, and classes will begin in October. Individuals who submit applications through our website now will be considered for our Spring 2023 class. All languages are accepted, and we encourage interested applicants to apply as soon as possible.
Virtual Training and Job Fair for Interpreters 2022
Back by popular demand, Found in Translation will once again be hosting a virtual event to bring together interpreters and language service agencies. Aspiring interpreters are welcome to attend, as organizations who provide interpreter training will also be sharing their opportunities this year.
Registration will open on our website after October 15th. Organizations interested in participating should contact [email protected] for details.
Coming Soon – a new Salesforce Database!
Implementing a custom Salesforce database has been an organizational goal for many years, and it has become ever more urgent that we replace our current spreadsheet-based system for one that is more robust, centralized, user-friendly, and secure.
We are so thrilled to share that thanks to the generosity of several funders, we recently secured the funding required to begin working with Vera Solutions, a consulting company that will design and build our very own custom database. This new system will streamline nearly everything we do – from our application process, to our fundraising efforts, to case management and more!
Work began in May, when our staff collaborated with the team at Vera to review all of our current procedures, processes, and data needs for both programming and operations. In July, we finalized plans for implementation. This phase is currently underway, and will be complete in February 2023. With training by Vera and dedicated in-house change management support for staff, we plan to have transitioned most of our work to our brand new Salesforce database by the summer of 2023.
Our Team is Growing!
We are pleased to share that our staff has grown this summer with the addition of Beatriz Moreno as our Grants Manager! Beatriz has supported our grantseeking efforts since early 2020 as a contract grant writer, so we are very thrilled to welcome her onboard as a full time member of our team!
Beatriz Moreno
Click on her photo to read her full bio on our website.
Our staff team will continue to expand this fall with additional members in new roles – stay tuned for more updates later this year!
