Welcome to the first edition of Member Spotlight! This monthly feature will highlight one of MATI’s wonderful translators or interpreters. We look forward to learning about YOU!! For the first edition, MATI President Christina Green has kindly agreed to answer a few questions. Green has been the president of MATI since June of 2012, and she is the director of Green Linguistics. She has a degree in Modern Languages from the Universidad Central de Venezuela and works between English and Spanish, Italian, French and Portuguese. Green has been a member of MATI since it was founded in 2004.

How did you get started in the field of translation and/or interpretation?

I spoke French at home with my mother, and Italian with my father, and we lived in Venezuela, so languages were a common thing for me. I was torn between going to Law School and studying languages, and I finally chose languages, thinking that it was a degree I could use anywhere in the world if I ever decided to leave my country.

What is your favorite thing about working in this field?

I feel that I am a very lucky person, for I do something that I absolutely love! When translating, I learn a lot of new things. I like researching and I am very organized, so the translations are fun projects for me. When interpreting, I love interacting with others, and I feel I take with me valuable lessons, regardless of the setting. Working with languages is almost like reading a new chapter of a book every day. Above all, I love the satisfaction of delivering a quality product or providing a good service.

What program/tool/dictionary couldn’t you live without?

That question would have been so different 5 years ago! I use to have square miles of dictionaries, and now they are all condensed into the Web. Some of my favorites include the ones from the Real Academia, the Collins, the MedlinePlus Encyclopedia and the Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique. I also use translators forums at Word Reference and ProZ to cross check some terms or get other people's input.

Why do you think it’s important to belong to professional organizations like MATI?

The value of exchanging ideas with other people is incredible. I have met amazing professionals through my participation in MATI and the ATA, who have become my friends. Belonging to an organization like this is a great way of networking and expanding in our line of work. It also allows us to keep current on the trends in the industry. I always learn from my colleagues.

What do you do in your free time?

Given that as a translator I never know how much free time I will get, I treasure every moment I have away from a computer with my family. I also do ballroom dancing and try to do a couple of triathlon every year since 2008. I love traveling as well, and I am often able to combine my trips for interpreting with some pleasure.

Thank you to Christina for taking the time to answer these questions and for being an AWESOME president!! Would you like to recommend someone to be featured in the MATI Member Spotlight? Send submissions to MATIemail@gmail.com!

Hello MATI Members,

This Thursday, the Centro Hispano of Milwaukee and the Grzeca Law Group will be hosting an information session titled, "Understanding the Current Immigration Climate." This event will be held from 3 to 5 pm at Centro Hispano’s Murgía Campus (1645 South 36^th Street, Milwaukee). Please see the description of this event below, taken from Mi Voz, and mark your calendars for what is sure to be a very informative event!

Centro Hispano Milwaukee a BIA Accredited Agency and the office of Grzeca Law Group will present a public meeting on the "Provisional Waiver". The provisional waiver allows for US citizen undocumented spouses to apply for their green card (LPR) while waiting in the United States. This will STOP the separation of families who under the current immigration law an undocumented spouse will have to wait for their green card in their home country from 2 to 10 years, meanwhile leaving behind their spouse and children in the United States. The "provisional wavier" will take effect on March 4, 2013. 

Many thanks to Vicki Bermudez for bringing this event to our attention.

Best,

The MATI Board of Directors

Would you like to contribute to the MATI blog? We welcome articles, letters to the editor, book reviews, biographies, comments on issues pertaining to the field, information on upcoming events and member news. Submit your ideas, along with 2-3 lines of biographical information, to MATIemail@gmail.com. MATI reserves the right to edit all submissions

Hello MATI members!

We now present to you with great excitement and pride the new, and much improved, MATI website! YES! Countless hours went into its creation, and on behalf of all MATI members, the Board of Directors would like to take this opportunity to thank Christina Green and Susan Schweigert for the untiring effort they put into redesigning the website and giving our organization a new and modern image. That is truly something for which to be thankful, and we hope all of you feel as re-energized about our organization as we do, as we collectively witness the unveiling of this site.

Along with our new website, we have a new blog, a new adventure for MATI! Once fully up and running, this blog will be updated weekly, and every month you can expect to receive an email in which excerpts of blog entries have been compiled for your convenience. The blog will feature articles by local experts in translation and interpretation, and subject matter will include issues pertaining to the field in the form of explorations into language, methodology and technology, book reviews, biographies, notes on presenters and meeting summaries. Most importantly, the blog will feature things that are important to you: your concerns, your accomplishments and your ideas!

Please do not hesitate to make contributions to the blog or suggestions for its improvement. We look forward to writing this new chapter of our organization’s history with the wonderful community that is MATI.

Best regards,

The MATI Board of Directors

Would you like to contribute to the MATI blog? We welcome articles, letters to the editor, book reviews, biographies, comments on issues pertaining to the field, information on upcoming events and member news. Submit your ideas, along with 2-3 lines of biographical information, to MATIemail@gmail.com. MATI reserves the right to edit all submissions.