The ATA Chronicle - January/February 2023 - 29

Then came an interpreting
exercise. Three students
volunteered to participate as
interpreters in this activity.
" I read a text in Spanish,
and they interpreted into
English, first consecutively
and then simultaneously.
They really enjoyed this
exercise and realized that
interpreting is not as easy as
it seems, " Aída explained. " I
asked students for examples
of where they've seen
interpreters at work (such as
interviews with athletes on
TV), and I emphasized the
importance of interpreters in
a war context. "
During the last activity,
students had to think of
which specialization they
would choose if they were
translators or interpreters,
and they created a badge
with this information. " Most
kids wanted to be video game
localizers and subtitlers,
but there were others
interested in interpreting,
and literary translation as
well, " Aída said.
Overall, Aída said it was a
gratifying and fun experience.
" The kids were enthusiastic
during the presentation and
asked several questions. That
afternoon, some moms called
to tell me their kids enjoyed
the activities. The teacher
said she wanted to become
a translator and my son told
me his classmates asked him
many questions after I left
the classroom. "
Aída's favorite part was
the interpreting assignment.
" I'm not an interpreter
and admire how they think
fast, their memory, and
communication skills. " One
of the students surprised
Aída with her natural
interpreting skills. " She
had a soft, clear, and strong
www.ata-chronicle.online
voice, self-confidence,
and excellent English
pronunciation. Her mom
texted me after, saying
her daughter wants to be a
conference interpreter. "
Inspiration for
Participating in
School Outreach
When asked what inspired
her to give a School Outreach
presentation, Aída explained
that she thinks fifth graders
are at a special age where
they have many ideas and
dreams about what they
want to be when they grow
up, but they haven't been
shown that translation
and interpreting are real
professions. " I wish I could
have had this information at
that age, and not only from
translators, but it would be
great if doctors, lawyers,
and artists could go to the
classrooms to talk to future
generations about the pros
and cons of their work and
the real daily life someone
could expect, " she said.
A Language Career
that Started with a
Volunteer Gig
Aída was born in Los Mochis,
Sinaloa, in northwest
Mexico, a small city on the
Sea of Cortez. She currently
lives in Guadalajara.
She's an ATA-certified
English>Spanish translator
specialized in business,
marketing, transcreation,
and website localization.
Aída has a bachelor's degree
in business and finance,
an MBA, and a master's
in economic relations and
cooperation. She also has a
certificate in translation from
the University of California,
San Diego.
" My first contact with
translation was as a
volunteer for the United
Nations Environmental
Program, translating
life cycle management
content for international
conferences, " Aída said.
At that time, she was a
manager at a restaurant and
translation was just a hobby,
but she found she loved the
work and began translating
for more non-governmental
organizations. " Then,
when I was studying for my
second master's degree, I
couldn't get a full-time job
because the condition of
my government scholarship
stipulated I wasn't allowed
to be employed, " she
explained. That's when Aída
started working online as a
freelance translator.
Aída now works from the
comfort of the new home
office she built for herself in
2020 so she could focus better
with her children studying
at home. When asked what
she likes best about being a
translator, Aída said she loves
to work on a variety of topics
every day. " I might get tired,
but I never get bored. "
She also enjoys using
her creativity to produce
messages that engage people
and allow them to understand
vital information. " I also
love the community that
we translators have. I feel
supported by colleagues who
have become friends and
who are always there when
Getting Involved in the
School Outreach Effort
Join our efforts! The 2023
School Outreach Contest is
now open and the winner will
receive a free registration to
ATA's 64th Annual Conference
in Miami, Florida (October
25-28). Contest submissions
are accepted for photos and
stories from presentations
to any age group in any
educational setting, anywhere
in the world, from pre-school
to college to adult education.
The contest deadline is
July 31, 2023. For more
information, visit ATA's School
Outreach page!
I need advice or help. I love
that translation can be part
of my life, a passion, and not
just a job. And of course, I'm
grateful I have the freedom
of working from anywhere,
setting my own schedule and
being my boss. "
Aída said she was thrilled to
have received free registration
for winning the School
Outreach Contest. " For me,
ATA's Annual Conference is
'the event' of the year. By the
end of any conference, I'm
already planning for next year.
Giving a School Outreach
presentation gave me the
chance to interact with the
kids, show them what a
professional translator does,
and also allowed me to attend
ATA's 63rd Annual Conference
in Los Angeles for free! What
else could I ask for? "
Molly Yurick is a Spanish>English subtitler,
translator, and consultant to aspiring subtitlers
based in northern Spain. Her subtitles can be
found on Netflix and she specalizes in tourism
and hospitality translation. She serves as deputy
chair of ATA's Public Relations (PR) Committee and is also a
member of ATA's School Outreach Program and PR Writer's
Group. molly@yuricktranslations.com
American Translators Association 29
https://www.atanet.org/career-education/school-outreach/contest/ https://www.atanet.org/career-education/school-outreach/contest/ https://www.atanet.org/career-education/school-outreach/ https://www.atanet.org/career-education/school-outreach/ http://www.ata-chronicle.online
The ATA Chronicle - January/February 2023

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