Published on: 18th April 2022
Megan has been an interpreter for seven years and has recently joined our education team as a trainer and assessor for our Diploma of Interpreting course. She chose to interpret with Auslan Connections because the connection to the Deaf community is really important to her. Megan says, “I’ve always felt that if you serve the Deaf community, you also need to contribute to the Deaf community”.
When Megan was young, her father was a teacher of the deaf who taught her signed English. He later married a deaf woman who taught Megan Australian Sign Language, and Megan became more involved in the Deaf community. In addition, Megan says, “some of my best friends are deaf, so that connection to community has strengthened”.
According to Megan, there’s no typical day as an interpreter. She says there are so many possibilities. You could end up at a dentist or doctor’s appointment, a day-care, a school, it could be anywhere. Sometimes interpreters need to research the topic because they’ve never encountered it before. However, that’s one of the things Megan loves about the role. She says the work provides variety and flexibility, giving her a work-life balance. The hours can suit her and her family.
Megan loves working with other interpreters because it allows her to learn and teach in a hands-on way. In addition, Megan’s new role in the education team has allowed her to share her knowledge with new and aspiring interpreters. It offers her the opportunity to improve her interpreting skills. Sharing knowledge and the growth of new interpreters is really important to Megan.
Megan would encourage anyone to become an interpreter. Megan says, “If you’ve been thinking about maybe becoming an interpreter, just do it. Come on.”
We are seeking expressions of interest from people in Victoria who might be interested in progressing their studies to become an Auslan-English interpreter. If you’re interested in expressing your interest, find out more by clicking here.
