Laura Yedra

I think just the fact that I lived in both Mexico and the United States throughout different periods of my life, I learned to love both languages and cultures and people. I saw the struggles of those who couldn't speak the other language, and to me, to be able to be that bridge to help people communicate and express either what they're feeling, or what they need, or what hurts, even in a hospital environment, it just... it's so fulfilling for me to see their faces and see somebody that speaks the language that they speak, and that they are being heard by someone. I think that's the most beautiful thing about my profession, if you were to ask me.

Right now, one of the biggest challenges is AI, and it sounds so repetitive, right, in any industry, but it is definitely something that us interpreters have in mind constantly - how at risk our careers could be. But then we are reminded of the importance of being an interpreter, and being more than just a computer that knows languages. Knowing the culture and the relevant, even facial expressions in each culture that are so important, and a computer will not be able to do. That would definitely be one challenge that's an ever-growing challenge for us, and we're thinking of ways to not combat it, but if anything, merge it to our profession so that it grows together and we are not left out. Also, there's not much education regarding interpretation. Most people think that to be an interpreter, you just need to be bilingual, and interpretation takes a lot more than that. It takes skill and practice and strategies that you must hone. Unfortunately, because of that, there are many times where the interpretation profession is not taken for granted, in a way, because of the misconception that there is around it.