Panyòl Tradiktè yo nan Ohio

I am a freelance translator with a master\'s degree in translation from Kent State University. As a native Spanish speaker and fluent speaker of English and Brazilian Portuguese I have been providing translation and interpretation services since 2009 with broad areas of interest and specializations in medical, commercial and legal translation. Having attended university training for more than four years in Venezuela, I can claim not only to be a native speaker of Spanish, but also that I have a college-level education in my mother tongue. Given that half of my family is of Brazilian origin, I have also spoken Portuguese since I was a child, and that is why I am fluent in that language as well. From a very young age and with Portuguese as my second language, I got myself into the tourism industry as a tour guide. The subsequent interaction with foreign visitors allowed me to learn my third language, English. The exposure I received to the English language during the seven years working in this field, pushed me to improve and started dealing with customers exclusively in that language. This was a wonderful experience that gave me a great advantage within the business. As a tour guide able to speak three languages fluently, I was not only involved in field trips but in the logistic and selling processes as well, where often an English and Portuguese speaking representative was needed. Assisting in the translation of brochures, itineraries, web sites, as well as interpreting were part of my duties while working for Ruta Salvaje Tours and several other tour operators around Venezuela.

I have been working as a professional translator and interpreter since 2006 after receiving my B.S. in Spanish and Math. State agencies in both Ohio and Illinois have used my services. I developed my Spanish in Chile where I studied abroad for an entire year. My linguistic studies continued in China where I learned Mandarin and taught English for 2 years. Spanish first entered my life when my sixth grade teacher asked if anyone wanted to go to Mexico. I still can\\'t explain why I wanted to - something about a thirst for knowledge I guess. I did go, and it changed my whole worldview. Here were people living their lives, drinking orange juice for breakfast but eating toast that came pre-toasted - Bimbo Pan Tostado. If only I could have understood what they were saying. This same scenario repeated itself 6 years later in Peru. I had taken 3 years of Spanish by that point, and I could indeed communicate, but certainly not fully. I knew then and there that I would not stop until I had finished learning the language, all of it. My college classes were not going to cut it. Study abroad was the only clear path to mastery. So I went to Santiago, Chile, through IFSA, a structured study abroad program, and the following semester enrolled directly in UC, taking classes with Chilean students. That, along with all the novels I read and my girlfriend, really solidified my Spanish. It was not hard anymore, nor even fun; it was normal. I did find a new source for that linguistic pleasure: relating cultures and languages to each other. Understanding and experimenting with how different languages and grammars attack the same problem, attempt to express the same idea, in all its messy glory. Translation is the art of putting that knowledge and experience into practice. If you want a (good enough) job, look elsewhere. The best job, the right job, or the whole job, now those I can handle. I translate everything you say, how you say it, and even why you say it. Why settle for anything less?

I graduated with honors with a Bachelors Degree in Spanish Literature from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio in 2004. For one semester I studied in Madrid, Spain in a full emersion studies abroad program. After graduation, I returned to live and work in Madrid for approximately one year teaching English to business professionals and fine-tuning my Spanish-speaking skills. Recently, I lived in Mendoza, Argentina for nearly one year working on freelance transcription and translation assignments. While living in New York City, I worked as a Bilingual Patient Consultant for a busy ophthalmology practice for a top Lasik surgeon. Half of the consultations I gave were entirely in Spanish. I worked as a Promotora de Salud for the Ohio Hispanic Coalition and was a full-time interpreter in the Prenatal/OBGYN clinic. I have worked on-call for medical interpreting.

I have worked as a professional Portuguese interpreter and translator for over 20 years. My experience ranges from business, to legal, entertainment, poetry, literature, education, medical and everything else in between. I am also ATA certified. I am a former Spanish teacher, having lived and worked for a combined 6 years in two Spanish speaking countries. I am committed to delivering quality service, meeting deadlines and preparing for every assignment, segment and terminology. I am proud of my work and always seek to broaden my knowledge. Learning is truly the force behind everything I do.