Her Story
About Maria
Maria Bozoklian is a workforce development professional and career coach specializing in supporting young adults on the spectrum. With over 15 years of experience in voice-link translations and interpreter services, she provides English-Spanish interpretation and document translation in medical, legal, and community settings while helping clients overcome communication barriers. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and has completed various post-college trainings. In addition to her professional work, she leads Autism Mom in Cleveland, a support group for parents of children on the spectrum, and advocates for individuals with autism.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Maria
01What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Receiving compliments and gratitude from clients who were able to understand and accomplish things thanks to my help keeps me going. The encouragement words like 'Maria, you were wonderful to us, thank you for your help' stay with me.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Listen to the consumer or the client. Active listening is key because translating is never word by word. You need to listen before you interpret to make sure you have the concept before delivering the full statement. Summarize with information that you perceive.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Limited resources and opportunities for those who don't understand the language. Resources are not in their own language, so translating documents helps them read and understand information easily, breaking miscommunication.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Patience, because I deal with people who struggle with communication or have other barriers. Always try to listen to them very carefully and understand the concept. Have patience to assist them as needed. Most of the time, be an active listener.
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