The Home Stretch......
Mood:  happy
As it stands right now, I am in the final term of two years of SLIP and am THRILLED to nearly be finished. I took and PASSED the section of the QE I failed previously. In fact, I passed it with MORE POINTS than I needed to pass. That is because GOD is the God of more than enough!!! I found this info out right before Spring Break and let's just say, I was praising God all the way!!!

Because I have some "extra" time I have taken a Small Business Management class with an instructor who use to play for the Harlem Globetrotters!!! SERIOUS! Luckily I kept the Business Plan from my interpreting theory class so this business class is nearly a cake walk.

I only have two interpreting classes because the bulk of my time should be interning. Unfortunately, due to the current situation in the area (VRS -video relay services has literally rounded a bulk of the local interpreting community) there are few interpreters willing to mentor. This has left a few of us without sufficient hours. 100 hours is required - 50 of those hours must be hands on. BUT GOD knows what is going on and I refuse to fret over this. The two internships I have, have the opportunity to set me up after graduation - which is such a GOD thing. One of them I could literally be hired on with after this internship is finished. The other I have potential to get hooked up with in theater, which is something I'd love to do too. Though I don't have the hours....I got the cream of the crop for mentors!!!

So, here I am on the home stretch to a dream and a desire that God placed in my heart 12 years ago. I'll graduate on June 10, 2005 with an Associates in Applied Science degree in Sign Language Interpretation. Yea, I know, an AAS after 5 years of school. My father-in-law thinks I should have a PhD by now....but you can't have victory if you don't go through the battle!!!

I heard on TD Jakes program this morning that GOD places people in their area of talent and it is NO CO-INCIDENCE that "some of you are getting degrees at the same time there is an explosion of need in your area of expertise". AMEN TO THAT!!!! The Portland area is DESPERATE for community interpreters. Jobs are abundant and in two and a half months....I'll be in that interpreter pool vying for those jobs!

GOD CAN when I can't and through all of this...let's just say....I can do NOTHING without Him.

SLIP Second Year....
Mood:  happy
By the time I walked into the classroom on the first day, we were down to 15 students. One of my best friends was gone from the class and another was struggling. BUT, we knew we were on our way to the end and if we could just get over the hump of the QE, it was cake after that.

The year started off with a placement in a "mock" interpreting setting. This meant a real classroom, with a live teacher lecturing, live students but no Deaf participants. It meant being observed weekly by a fellow classmate and three times by the instructor. My placement was in a Creative Writing class, which when I received it was a bit insulted by because it was considered a "lower level" class and I knew I could handle something more difficult. My mouth opened before I actually understood what I was getting myself into. This class was about as abstract in thought as any class could get. The material used was offensive to anyone who had any "good morals". And the participants were literally draining on the room and the class.

I BARELY got through that placement. My observer didn't really know what to tell me because her skill level exceeded mine. She was a tremendous blessing, however, in that she was never judgemental. I could read it on her face but it never came off her lips. I observed her class and realized that Geology is interesting. LOL and was fascinated by her ability to interpret this high level class which could literally be an interpreters nightmare. Constant powerpoint presentation that was flipped through at the speed of light. An instructor that spoke as fast as she flipped. A DARK classroom with no outside light (don't forget we live in the Northwest!!!! sun is not a prevalent thing). Anyway, she was an inspiration and I did my best to critique her.

My instructor, God love her, was really much kinder in her grading than she had to be. She passed me with a "B" and I nearly cried when I saw it because I knew how hard I worked, but the work I was putting out didn't deserve that grade....it should have been lower. HOWEVER, effort and a positive attitude covers a multitude of evil.

Okay, so to wrap this up a bit...I took the QE in November and failed the Voice-to-Sign portion. I won't go into why, but let's just say that my interpretation was a mess, I was scared, and allowed the environment to affect my attitude and to steal the peace of God from my heart. I was one of two people who failed that portion, everyone else passed it. I DID pass the Sign-to-Voice portion and was THRILLED to know that I could do at least half of it right.

Wouldn't you know that I was humbled by this experience. I didn't walk into that testing room cocky...no, not at all. But I was terrified and intimidated. I wasn't ready spiritually nor emotionally to handle an internship. My relationship with God had deteriorated as I allowed the things and the worries of this world to infect my life. My relationship with my spouse was dying and trouble was springing up in the lives of our kids. I was a mess and accepted the trial that I was going through knowing that when I came out on the other side I would be victorious.



To wrap it up and where I am at now.....

SUMMER 2004
Mood:  happy
I was thrilled to be DONE with the first year of the program and even more THRILLED that I had the summer to hang with our three kids. I felt like I had just spent nine months passing them in the night. Essentially I wasn't but I did not see them as much as Mom's should.

My "ideal" summer changed, however, with a phone call from an assisted living facility for Deaf and Deaf/blind senior citizens. I was an active volunteer at this facility and the phone call presented a paying job opportunity as an activities director. WOW! I was humbled to be in this position of getting to choose what I wanted to do and at the same time a bit concerned because I was contemplating walking away from my kids again in order to "go to work".

This was a difficult decision because I didn't need the money, but I needed the exposure to the language and the culture of Deaf people. Not only that I needed to get my name out if there was any hope for this East Coast Girl to begin working in the interpreting field.

After much contemplation I decided to take the job on the premise that "I" tell the facility when I can come in instead of following the schedule that they desired. They accepted and I started working there. It was a rough and tumble three months of employment as my youngest child became gravely ill and ended up coming to work with me every day so that I could watch her. This wasn't an "in the hospital" type illness...in fact it was the MYSTERY illness. No one knew what was wrong including the doctors. However, aside from that I got my hands into the thick of things and fell in love with the facility even more than before. They were VERY GOOD TO ME!!!! During that time I got some marketing experience as well as a "jump in with both feet" training on how to manage an activities calendar. I wasn't perfect but what I did do was set up a system of regular events that could be carried over by the next person to fill the job. I managed a crew of roughly 20 volunteers, took seniors on outings, brought people in to do/teach various activities, and got my name out into the Deaf community. My ASL skills skyrocketed in that three months and I'm a better person for it.

I left this position at the end of the summer in order to go back to college for another year.

SLIP First Year.....
Mood:  happy
Well, it is nearly a year and a half since I have even touched this blog. Probably a good thing after everything I've endured during my "official" interpreter training at Portland Community College in Portland, OR.

Blogs should be uplifting.

So, let me go back in SUMMARY and tell you all what has happened in my life on this Journey to Become a Sign Language Interpreter.

In August of 2003 I received a letter accepting me into the SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION PROGRAM at Portland Community College in Portland, OR. This was not only a dream come true but it was the Word of God manifesting in my life. I was here and now, I was finally in "the program".

What is "the program"? Well, in short it's called SLIP which stands for Sign Language Interpretation Program. It is a two year long, intensive, dedicated program with a limited class size of 25 students per year. Once you start, you go all the way through to graduation or quit. You can't "retake" classes without waiting an entire year to do so. It's all or nothing and those who start and finish are not always the majority.

There are roughly six teachers that are involved in "the program" but two of them are "IT" and run the show. Students take between 15-18 credits per term (there are three each year). Classes include: ASL I - V (understand that this is NOT beginning ASL but advanced, interpreting level ASL); Interpreter Process I-VI (this is a hands-on class); Fingerspelling I,II (again, advanced fingerspelling); ASL Linguistics I,II; Mock Interpreting I,II; Interpreting Theory I-III; and Internships which are not granted without the successful passing of both portions of the QE or Qualifying Exam.

Just a side note about the QE:
VERY FEW interpreter training programs actually have an "exiting" exam in order for the student to graduate. PCC is one that does and that is why I chose to go there (aside from the fact that God told me that is where I needed to be). Anyway, this exam consists of a Voice-to-Sign portion as well as a Sign-to-Voice portion. This QE is modeled after the RID certification exam and is judged by three Deaf and three hearing people. It is not easy and strikes fear into nearly everyone's heart at some point. IF you do not pass this test, you CANNOT graduate from this program. Failure to pass this exam four times means that you will NEVER graduate from "the program".

OFF my soapbox....

So, my class started in September of 2003 with 25 students. Within two weeks one student dropped out and by the end of the term we lost two more. By the end of the first year we were down to 15 students, which is a testament to the difficulty as well as the dedication required to persevere.

The first year consisted of a WHOLE LOT of book work, homework, video tape viewing and video tape making. Life felt like a train-wreck waiting to happen. There were teacher/student conflicts, student/student conflicts, administration/student conflicts, etc. If you place 25 people in the same room, everyday for a year you are bound to see conflicts arise. Most were ironed out and life moved forward. Some resulted in the loss of classmates from the program.

We ended the year with a strong emphasis placed on PRACTICING during the summer. Who practiced and who didn't would determine who passed the QE and who didn't.

The Big Move.....
July 10, 2003
I never thought in all my life I'd ever live on the West Coast, which I have personally dubbed the WRONG coast for many reasons...none of which are pertinent to this Blog and therefore I am leaving my personal opinions about my geographical location out of this journey. On July 10, 2002 my husband, three children, two pets, and I loaded up a Ryder truck with everything we had and set out on our journey of 3,000 miles to parts unknown. For me, it was bitter sweet. I was leaving behind not only close friends, my church, and my work place, but also the memories of college, my college professor, and my time spent with a 4 year old deaf girl whom I interpreted for at our church. However, I was headed to the place that when I leave there, I would be ready to go before the RID/NAD board and become certified as a Sign Language Interpeter.

We arrived July 15, 2002 and moved into our home on July 21st. In August I went to the college for my proficiency interview. I had no clue what this interview would be like, what questions would be asked, or in what format the interview would be in. I DID know that I was confident in my abilities. Needless to say, the interview was horrible and the interviewer chose to back me up three ASL classes based on my lack of classifier useage. I left the interview in near tears and rather angry....both at myself and at the process. I met a group of ASL students in the breezeway who were waiting to take the performance part of their final exam. We all sat and talked. I became more concerned as the conversation went on because what they were doing, was not what we did back in Tennessee. I met three people that day who would change my life. Dante, Laura, and Tina. All three were in class together and very good friends. All made a promise to me that day that if we ended up in class together, we would go through it together and then on into the ITP program. I left with a partial smile that day....but the sorrow in my heart was great as I felt I had failed and was beginning to question the very purpose God had given me for my life.

Change is Inevitable and the Time to Change Had Arrived....
In November 2001 my husband was required to fill out a "dream sheet". On this sheet he must list 8 places he is willing to be stationed at during his next tour of duty. These sheets are always a cause of tension because what you put down, you have to be willing to take whether it's in the #1 slot or the #8 slot. And the list they offer to pick from, does not always have "desireable billets" on it. Such was the case.

My husband's billet pick list had a total of 30 units available. Nearly all were ships. Of the 30 possibilities, four of the 30 cities had an Interpreter Training Program available at a local college. This was a difficult task because none of the four were "desireable" in our eyes. Available areas with ITP programs were: Alameda, California....Treasure Island, California....Virginia Beach, Virginia.....Portland, Oregon.

I spent a lot of time researching these areas. It didn't take long to ditch the California choices because I refused to raise my children in California (no offense to ANYONE who loves the state). Portland, OR had a wonderful program, but it was situated in what many deem as "liberalville USA". Virginia Beach, VA was ideal because all of my husband's family live there; however, their program was only started in January 2001 and had not been around long enough to satisfy my desire for a solid program. After many conversations, a deep breath, and prayer....my husband placed Portland, Oregon in the #1 spot on his dreamsheet. He knew as much as I did that my "career path" had to be the priority in this transfer if he was ever going to be able to retire and open his computer store. Someone has to pick up the slack when half the paycheck it taken away...and that person was me. The remainder of the "dream sheet" list was VA Beach in #2 and the remaining six slots were cities where I could not continue on my journey such as Charlevoix, MI....Corpus Christi, TX....Panama City, FL.....etc.

In December 2001 my husband received the phone call that would change our life. The detailer offered my husband MSO/Group Portland, Oregon as his next tour of duty. This offer meant he would be home every night for the second time in 13 years. He accepted the billet and called me at work. We already knew we were going there because we had prayed about it, but it was really happening and we knew we had heard from God. I would leave my job at the school, leave my college where my journey officially started, my children would leave behind oodles of friends, and we'd say goodbye to our church and I'd say goodbye to my newfound friends in the ASL class I taught and to my new little friend Amelia and her family.

I began making transcript preparations and applied to Portland Community College. I was accepted in without hesitation, but that didn't guarantee a slot into their ITP program. After many phone calls out to the college from Tennessee, I found out that I could not interview for placement until I arrived in Portland, and wouldn't be able to interview for the ITP program until the spring of 2002. That was hard information to swallow but I did and began the next leg of my journey to becoming a sign language interpreter.....

Another Door of Opportunity Opens Wide.....
After the fall semester finished, I realized with the classes I was taking during the spring semester would be one credit short of 12 credits, thus costing me money instead of getting a surplus check from FAFSA. I needed 1 credit, and none of the Physical Education classes fit into my crazy schedule.

Ah, but a knock at the door of opportunity came and I opened it with excitment. A person from a local Baptist church called my instructor and asked her if anyone in her classes would be interested in teaching an ASL class to a group of people at the church. This info was posted in my ASL III class during the fall semester and I had indicated I was interested. I found out through my instructor that I could use teaching that class as Co-Op education work and get credit for it. Ah HA! However, merely teaching the class and the prep time involved wasn't enough time...and I had to find another place where I could use my sign skills in a volunteer situation.

And another knock came at that door of opportunity.

In May 2001 at an Awanas end of the year awards ceremony I saw a man standing in the aisle of the church signing to someone standing on the stage. I couldn't take my eyes off him and for the life of me, couldn't figure out who he was interpreting for.

After the awards ceremony I desperately searched for this man....I just had to know what he was doing because I had never seen him before. That night I met Steve and Sharon...and was blessed to meet their daughter Amelia who was born deaf. She was 4 years old and very, very cute. We talked a bit and exchanged information. I shared with them my passion and my goals. They shared with me the desire to find someone who could assist Amelia at church so that they did not always have to do it and could have a break so they could attend a service or two.

After not much thought, I jumped at the chance to use my skills...I phoned them and shared with them that I needed some volunteer time. They told me I was perfect for what they were looking for and we immediately became a team.

That semester I signed up and began taking ASL IV, Fingerspelling, English Composition I, and Honors Sociology. I also signed up for 1 credit in Co-Op Education work. That work included teaching an ASL class at the Baptist church on every Monday night, working as an interpreter for Amelia during Awana's every Wednesday night, and interpreting the Glory Train presentation every Sunday morning at my own church. I exited that semester with a 4.0 GPA and a cumululative 3.917 GPA.

Never in my life had I ever had such a full plate. Three kids, one husband who was always gone on the ship, a 20 hr. per week job, four college classes, two interpreting jobs and teaching an ASL class that I was required to make the lesson plans for.

After that semester....I knew I could do anything.

One Year Down....Another to Go.....
With my first year of college down and a year in the workforce under my belt, I cruised into summer full of confidence. I had made it, my children were fine, and my husband was becoming more accustom to the change in me.

As the 2001/2002 school year drew closer I was ready to take on the next phase in my journey...but a big blow came when I found out that my daughter wasn't getting the teacher I had requested and was confident she needed to have a successful first grade year. I went into the school to speak with the new principal and with tearful eyes I explained to her my deep feelings on the situation. She listened and provided me with a solution, which was the best solution anyone could have given. As I turned to leave she called me back in and said she had a question for me. As I stood inside the doorway of the principals office, my daughter at my side, Mrs. Jenno asked me if I would be interested in being the Allied Arts Coordinator at her school. I happen to be very skilled in stage design, bulletin board design, and generally just handy in art (not crafts). I told her I was going to college full time and working as a substitute and I wasn't sure I could committ to any volunteer work. She chuckled....then proceeded to tell me that this job would be in place of my substitute job and would pay me $10,000 a year.

My jaw hit the floor.

I screamed, "Are you serious?" and she quickly responded YES. She said that when she asked the staff who they thought best fit the job description, my name was unanimous among the group. Since Mrs. Jenno didn't know who I was, she took their word on faith and asked me.

GOD had JUST answered a prayer of mine with that job offer.

Making $10,000 a year, setting my OWN schedule of when I wanted to work (which meant having better times to study for tests and finals) AND the best part, working three days a week at the school my children attended could not have been a better offer. AND to top that off, with the money I made I would be able to pay off my credit card, afford to buy the kids some things they needed, go places that we couldn't go before, buy clothes I desperately needed an update on, and save for the additional college I knew was going to be coming in the future.

That fall I began my new job and headed back to college for another full semester of 12 credits. Upon registering I asked if I could take an Honors Psychology class because my GPA was so high. After a chat with the right person, I was given a waiver and allowed to register for my first Honors class. It meant I would be given a laptop computer to use for the semester and be allowed to join Phi Theta Kappa - which is the Honor Society for 2 year colleges. During that semester I took College Algebra, ASL III, Computer Literacy, and Honors Psychology. I ended the semester with a perfect 4.0 again and a cumulative GPA of 3.875.

Take a Deep Breath and Hold......
Talk about a fork in the road. Life literally changed for me in the fall of 2000. I was a 31 year old woman with three children, married for 12 years. My youngest was starting kindergarten and the thought of not being with her every day broke my heart, but seeing her on her first day of school as she waved and told me to go home...well, I knew she would do great.

However, what I wasn't so sure about was the fact that I was also just beginning...college, that is. I felt like a carp in the pirahna pond. I had no clue what college was going to be like, nor how I'd fit in a sea of young people. I was nervous and excited all at the same time. It was fun to buy books (actually to search for used books online!) and to buy "school supplies" for myself for the first time in years. That first semester I took Algebra I, American Sign Language I, and Deaf History. Finding time to study was interesting, but with my husband gone so much and my kids going to bed at 8:00 p.m. - I found the time - and did very well. I left that semester with a 3.667 GPA.

I also began working for the first time in 11 1/2 years. My job as a substitute teacher was also unchartered waters. I'd seen teachers teach, manage their classrooms, deal with behaviors, think fast on their feet, hug hurt children, and cheer on acomplishments. I was great at doing that for my own kids and little did I know, I did quite well with other kids too. I smile a lot and the kids loved that. I also have a stern voice, when it's warranted, and it wasn't very often I had a classroom unclear of who was in charge. I was creative and the kids knew it. I never had a bad day and worked every single day I was available...I even had to turn teachers down because my calendar was booked. I felt a huge feeling of accomplishment and purpose in my life.

That first semester went well, with the exception of my youngest coming down with Shingles. I never missed a class despite this shocker because my husband willingly stood in the gap. I was very grateful his ship was not underway.

The second semester I felt much more confident of myself and decided to take on 11 credits. This time I took Algebra II (worth 5 credits), ASL II, Psychology of Deaf People and Their Culture. Because of the additional credits I had to pay out $87...but I exited that semester with a 4.0 and a cumulative GPA of 3.85.

God Provides the Way.....
All the excitment and gumption in the world doesn't pay the tuition it costs to go to college. Through all my plans and research and hopes I had to figure out how I was going to pay for school. I had learned something very valuable in church, though, and that was when God asks you to do something, He also provides the means to do it. When I heard that, I received that word and ran with it. I started believing God for a way to go to college. I didn't have the money and I didn't have a job...something my husband assured me I would be getting once all the kids were in school.

Well, God brought to me the very BEST plan ever.

Spending the previous year as a very ambitious volunteer in the local school, the people there began inputting the idea into my head that I would be a great substitute teacher. I love kids, enjoy school, and have a lot of energy to share. Of course I laughed this off because I didn't even hold a college degree. Well it didn't take long for me to discover that I didn't need a degree or any college for that matter to work as a substitute. And the icing on that cake was the fact that I could pick and choose which days I wanted to work. When I pieced this information with the class schedule in the college catalog I realized that I could go to college and take 9 credits AND work at the same time. It would be hectic but I knew I could do it. My classes would start after I dropped my kids off at school in the morning on Tuesdays and Thursdays and I would substitute in schools on the same time schedule as my children's school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. It was the perfect plan and my paycheck would pay for my college expenses. I immediately began the process for becoming a substitute teacher for the Hamilton County School District in Chattanooga, TN. I was interviewed, finger printed, and filled out a slew of paperwork.

In May 2000 I had to take some entrance exams to get into Chattanooga State because I had been out of high school for a very long time. Not long after taking those tests I received an acceptance letter into the college. That same month I received in the mail a letter from FAFSA stating that they would give me $685 per semester that I went to school if I went full time. I was absolutely elated at this information and couldn't help but Praise the Lord for the provision. In July 2000 I was hired on by the Hamilton County School District as an official substitute teacher.