Hello, I'm Megan Kupec. I grew up in northern Minnesota, but I'm currently living in Seattle, Washington. I am a student at the University of Northern Colorado (UNCO), majoring in American Sign Language-English Interpretation. I have a minor in ASL, and I am also part of UNCO's Preparing School Interpreters Project. This means that the Office of Special Education.
Biographical Introduction
Programs has paid for my last 2 years of school and allowed me the opportunity to take extra classes that provide me with more skills and knowledge, specifically in the area of school interpreting. With school interpreting as my concentration in this program, after graduation, I plan to become a school interpreter. I am interested in working in middle school classrooms because I think that is a fun age. I'm also interested in experiencing what it is like to work in other settings, such as interpreting for the theatre. I'm looking forward to having many different experiences once I start work. A big goal of mine is also to pass the RID National Certification exam, as well as the EIPA and BEI Certification exam. This is important to me because it will show the Deaf community and other interpreters that I have the skills and knowledge necessary to work and that I am qualified to do the job. Deaf people in my community have let me know that it is difficult for them to find interpreters whom they can consistently depend on and trust. My overall goal is to become an interpreter and a person whom they can consistently trust to provide quality communication access. Thank you!
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Philosophy of Interpreting
I decided to become an interpreter because I believe that access to information and communication is a basic human right. Every day, Deaf and hard of hearing individuals have to navigate a world where communication barriers are everywhere. I started learning ASL for fun and to learn a new skill. When COVID-19 hit, I quickly realized the inequalities that exist in communication access for the Deaf and hard of hearing community and the danger that is present when groups of people are denied access to information.
Through the use of a variety of approaches, such as Dennis Cokely's Sociolinguistic Model of Interpreting, the Gish Model of Interpreting, Demand-Control Schema, and the Integrated Model of Interpreting, I consider the entirety of the consumers I work with and how their life experiences and intersectionality impact their language use and communication. I approach each consumer individually and adjust my work to match their needs. Deeply rooted in the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf's Code of Professional Conduct, my work prioritizes ethical practices so that all consumers are respected and feel a sense of collaboration throughout the interpreting process.