UPDATES
Blazing Trails (Once Again)
In 2025, I had the honor of forming part of a select group of language interpreters across the United States to take the pilot certification exam for the National Association of Educational Translators and Interpreters in Spoken Languages (NAETISL), and I passed the exam to become one of the first Spanish interpreters nationwide to obtain this new credential! In 2011, I had a similar experience as a participant in the pilot certification exam for the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI). Both credentials have paved the way for increased standardization when measuring competence and quality in the interpreting industry, raising the bar for interpreting in medical and educational settings. Visit the links to learn more about the testing process.
Martes de Mascotas
Since June 2024, I have been a volunteer media presenter for the Wisconsin Humane Society. I stumbled upon the call for adult Spanish-speaking volunteers by surprise, and it was such a unique opportunity that I decided to apply to join the presenter pool. Truth is, taking these animals that are up for adoption on a field trip to the Telemundo Wisconsin studios for their respective 15-minutes of fame has been tremendously fun and incredibly rewarding. Each pet's personality shines on set during our Martes de Mascotas segment, which airs live on Tuesdays at 11:15 a.m. Central, and behind the scenes, the station staff eagerly welcome each furry friend into their workspace. Tune in to view the featured animal of the week and to learn more about general pet care, safety, and upcoming WHS events, ¡en español!
Go Fund Me Campaign
In February 2016, I participated in my inaugural international humanitarian mission and even conducted my very first Go Fund Me campaign to raise money to purchase extra supplies for the community where we would be stationed. I was contracted by Dentistry For All (a Canadian non-profit organization that has since expanded into the U.S.) to serve as the group’s Spanish interpreter and translator during the 12-day mission in trip in Guatemala. Our group of just over 20 volunteers treated a total of 444 patients in six days at the clinic! The experience was more than I could have ever imagined – an abundance of compassion, positivity, adrenaline, exhaustion, exploration, enthusiasm, poverty, appreciation, satisfaction…but most of all, smiles.