Congratulations, Fall Class of 2022!

On February 25th, Found in Translation held the program celebration for our most recent class of medical interpreters – the Fall Class of 2022! If it seems like just yesterday we were celebrating the Spring Class of 2022 – that is because we (kind of) were! In 2022, Found in Translation doubled the frequency of our medical interpreter certificate trainings, and now we are graduating a new class of interpreters twice per year, or just about every 6 months. The Fall Class of 2022 began in late October, and ran through the winter with most programming taking place online on Zoom. However, this class did benefit from the addition of several opportunities to gather in person, for example in November at Dress for Success!

Having completed the certificate training, the women of our Fall Class of 2022 are now ready to take the next step in their careers and begin working as professional interpreters. Like the class this year, the formal event was once again held on Zoom – making it possible for friends and family (in other countries!) to tune in from anywhere to join the festivities. An informal in-person gathering for our newest graduates and their alumnae peers is planned for later this month. 

Watch the full event recording here: 

Who are our recent graduates, the Fall Class of 2022?

• There were 20 students in this class, including 1 alumna returning to retake the course and earn her certificate
• Collectively, our newest graduates represent 11 different countries of origin. 
• This class trained interpreters in 7 different language groups: Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Urdu, Vietnamese, Dari and Swahili. 
• Graduates range in age from 19 to 59, and the average age of this class is 36
• All are confident, compassionate, motivated and community-oriented!

We are so proud of each and every one of our newest alumnae! Thank you to everyone in our community who have 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. Special thanks to our partners Dress for Success – Boston, Ulta Beauty, Sitters for Scholars, Feda Eid, Cynthia Roat, and all our volunteers and guest speakers for your contributions of time, resources and expertise in support of this class. 

Excerpt from our Fall Class of 2022 Graduate Speaker, Maudeline Petit:

“[…]I’m from a beautiful country named Haiti where people are experiencing a difficult political period. Most of the professionals are persecuted and have to quit their careers to find an alternative place to continue chasing their dreams. Like most of them, I had to leave my country  to migrate here without hope and any expectation of what my future will look like. […]

I came to the US a week before the Covid-19 pandemic spread. The country was quickly locked down. Everyone had to quarantine, schools went remote, these among other changes caused a lot of confusion for people, including myself. Being new to the country under these circumstances was not easy and it was difficult for me to stay hopeful. Thanks to my family, my sister (who was a student at Found and Translation) and Naomie, my language coach (who was also my connection at the hospital where my daughter is a patient), I was able to find and apply for Found in Translation Medical Interpreting Program. My sister and Naomie saw the qualities required of a medical interpreter in me. They have witnessed my determination and resilience and guided me to this amazing opportunity.

I was very excited to learn about the medical interpreting program that Found in Translation offers, especially because I have found a deeper connection with the medical field in 2006. I gave birth to my 25 weeks premature daughter in 2006 and I had to stay in the hospital with her for 7 months. During that time I was able to support other mothers in the hospital with my informal interpreting skills. That is when I realized that I could save lives with my language skills and it motivated me to seek an opportunity that would allow me to do so more professionally and on a regular basis.[…]

This program changed our lives. It showed us the way. Our future is brighter. We are now confident to decide what we want as professionals. In addition, we can be more present at home as mothers while working to help people and earn income. This program reinforces my mission to empower women because the Found in Translation staff showed me how one can work with love while on a mission to support women. […]

The first time we joined the zoom meeting for our class, I was concerned about whether I would be able to form connections with my classmates in a remote class environment. However, it turned out to be much easier than I expected and we were able to form such a strong bond during our class times and outside of it when we’d help each other with homework or study together. 

I remember when we had our first in-person event scheduled, I was very excited to meet my peers! It was truly exceptional how quickly we all connected even though it was our first time meeting each other in person. We celebrated our achievements and supported each other during the difficult times. We created our community with women from different backgrounds who spoke many different languages. We will stay connected to dream together, to innovate, to advise and to join the medical interpreters network.”