Terp Tales – Lucky to be an Interpreter – Sonia Barron

“When I was in high school my algebra teacher told me the difference between a career and a job is that a job is done only for the money and a career is something you are passionate about plus you get paid. Today I am lucky enough to say that I get paid to do what I love but it wasn´t always like this.

I remember being a small child in the deep south having to do mini interpreting sessions for my parents, this was in the 90´s and we were the only Latino family in our town, and one of my elementary teachers indicated I should be an interpreter as an adult. I wrinkled my nose and at that moment I did not realize what a blessing it was to grow up bilingual.

I graduated high school and went off to college in Mexico where I majored in communications and after graduating college I went to work in a button and zipper company in customer service and later in purchasing. For three years I had a job which was only partially satisfying my ambition to grow in a professional manner which made me unhappy most of the time. After three years in that company I lost my job and what seemed like a curse at that time was actually a blessing in disguise.

Shortly after losing my job I received a call from Language Line Solutions indicating I would start the hiring process. I was thrilled and did my interviews and passed! This was luck or destiny or maybe a bit of both; I lost a job that I hated to pursue a career that I love. That was the beginning of my career.

It has been four years since that day and I still remember how excited I was and up till now I am fortunate enough to say that I love what I do and work on improving constantly. What makes me enjoy what I do even on difficult days or tasks is the knowing that we are helping. Our work has meaning. We shed a little bit of light to people who are in the dark. We help ensure their language barrier is never an obstacle in solving their problem and for me that is gratifying.

Interpreting may be stressful and hard work since we have to continuously work on learning new terms and memorizing them in two different languages but I would not change all the long hours spent for anything else because I know I am lucky to be an interpreter.”

-Sonia