Sandra Richter

My interpreting experience began in the early 1990s while working as an executive assistant in the mining sector in Chile. A great deal of hours were dedicated to bridging the communication between the local engineers and the many expats that worked on long term and short term contracts in Chile. Although not specified in my initial job description, my native speaking abilities in both English and Spanish provided me with the opportunity to acquire some important, informal training that I would later apply to my professional development. In 2011, I began on a serious quest for a career change. I was approached by a fellow interpreter at ATIA, who recommended Medical Interpreting. It was being offered at Bow Valley College and it would be a great way for me to use my language skills to make a living. I immediately contacted the college and applied. I was initially approved by the Alberta Health Region and then accepted by Bow Valley College. I graduated from the Health Care Interpreting program, but by then, the interpreting department at the Health Region had been eliminated due to funding cuts. In order not to lose my skills, I have been volunteering with family and peers on every opportunity that I am approached. Seeing it was impossible to find paid work as a medical interpreter, I approached the Calgary Board of Education and have been working with them since 2013. I have acquired a great deal of experience. My assignments vary but include parent teacher interviews, psychological assessments, speech pathology assessments, etc. In July of 2017, I also began working with Immigrant Services, giving me the opportunity to interpret for various private health organizations, family and tax court. Interpreting has become my passion and I continuously take courses to develop my skills. You can never stop learning in this field and I plan to continue working as an interpreter for a very long time.