Sign language interpreting majors prepare for graduation, work force

While some seniors are struggling to find jobs and secure post-graduation plans, Augustana's seven graduating sign language interpreting majors have reason to feel confident about their futures.

Of the seven graduates, four already have job offers. All of them have passed the first part of the certification exam necessary to become a sign language interpreter, giving Augustana's program a 100 percent pass rate when the nationwide average is only 44 percent.

''Nationwide, there is a much greater need for interpreters than there are interpreters to fill the need,'' education professor Marlee Dyce said. ''Interpreters are retiring at a faster rate than they are coming into the field.''

Sign language interpreters often find jobs in referral companies or agencies, where a deaf person can request an interpreter at anything from a doctor's appointment to a court hearing. Many interpreters also work for video relay services or with individual students in a school setting.

The seven graduating sign language interpreting majors – and the first to graduate from Augustana with this major – are Hannah Drexler, Jessica Goglio, Rachel Hatle, Stephanie Kurtzweil, Amanda Leisten, David Thomson and Lisa Wendt. The major was implemented in 2006 after the Communication Services for the Deaf (CSD) in Sioux Falls donated a grant to help start up the program.

This year, there are 36 total sign language interpreting majors in the program, including the seven graduates. Four professors – Christa Gunderson, Monica Soukup, Carmen Steen and Dyce – make up the department.

Dyce said that with any new program, there were kinks that needed to be worked out over the past four years. The initial group of majors, she said, were ''extremely dedicated'' and willing to work hard, which helped ease the transition process.

''It's not an easy program, and being the first group of people for anything is always difficult,'' Dyce said. ''I'm extremely proud of all the hard work they've done to get to where they are.''

Goglio, who transferred from Maryland last year to ''try out and experience Augie's interpreting program,'' was originally an interior design major until she started serving deaf consumers at her Starbucks job.

''Deaf culture and interpreting are not fields you randomly decide to enter,'' Goglio said. ''Somewhere along the way someone or something will impact your life by touching your heart or opening your eyes, and you are never the same. I want to impact people the same way I was.''

As part of the major, students began taking American Sign Language (ASL) classes their first year and moved into translation and specialized interpreting courses their sophomore year. This semester, the seniors were required to complete a 400-hour advanced interpreting practicum, where they were placed in an agency to shadow a practicing interpreter.

Leisten, who is currently finishing her practicum in Rapid City, said this professional exposure to the deaf community was helpful.

''There were a lot of requirements for observations and practicum hours, but they were completely beneficial,'' Leisten said. ''In the end, what I have learned in the real world has been an excellent supplement to what I have learned in classes.''

Hatle, who said she ''fell in love with the language'' after her first ASL class, is completing her practicum at CSD and has now accepted a position there following graduation. In her opinion, the biggest strength to the sign language interpreting program at Augustana is the professors' experience in the field.

''They have actual interpreting experience,'' Hatle said. ''Their experience better prepares the students for the 'real live deaf people' and the awkward situations that often arise.''

Dyce, who has worked as an interpreter for 14 years, agreed that one of the most challenging parts of interpreting is overcoming the cultural differences and stereotypes that exist between the deaf and hearing communities.

''In the midst of mediating between languages, we also have to mediate between cultures,'' Dyce said. ''For example, deaf people can be very blunt and straightforward with people. Interpreters may have to soften their language a bit to get to the same point without being insulting.''

Wendt, who plans to stay in Sioux Falls and work for an interpreting agency after graduation, also finds these cultural gaps challenging at times.

''Deaf culture is so misunderstood that sometimes it is hard to mediate between the two,'' she said. ''People view deaf individuals as people with a disability, not a language minority, which is what they should be categorized as.''

Though sign language interpreting isn't easy, the graduates remain optimistic about their future careers.

''Every day you continue to grow and learn and improve your signing and interpreting skills,'' Goglio said. ''You want to be perfect the minute you graduate, and that is just unrealistic. I will continue learning long after I leave the Augie classroom.''