Name: Menezes Chilola das Neves
Was this year’s conference in Minneapolis your first ATA conference?
Yes, it was my first annual conference, although I have been an ATA associate member for about four years. ATA 62 was a great and unique experience, particularly because I had never attended an event of such magnitude. It was a great opportunity for learning, networking, and being entertained, all simultaneously. It was great to join the exciting PLD team, for example.
I arrived late on the second evening, and that was why I did not participate in any Advanced Skills and Training (AST) sessions which, I believe, could have provided me with major takeaways. Nonetheless, I learned, for example, what it takes to be a Certified Medical Interpreter (National Board’s Medical Interpreter Credentials Programs) through explanations and expertise acquired from the National Board staff deployed at the exhibit hall. Besides, the speakers were so distinguished, and the sessions were so good that I felt truly awarded. My highlights:
- Lots of Resources for Lots of Interpreters
- Interpreting Services Price Quotes for the New Normal
- Key Factors to Ensure Quality Language Access in K-12 Educational Settings
- Shifting to Video Remote Interpreting during COVID-19: The transformation of medical interpreting services at University of California Davis Health
- Employer Requirements for Interpreters and Translators in Education: A preliminary analysis of 300+ job descriptions, etc.
Summing it up, it was a rewarding and great experience. I enjoyed the warm way the PLD welcomed me to the family and made me feel like I was already at home amongst them (looking forward to seeing everyone again at ATA63!). Of note, I also loved the interactive brainstorming event where I had the opportunity to meet many professionals and learn a great deal about many issues in translation and interpretation while exchanging ideas and, of course, business cards.
Did you attend any translators’ conferences in Africa when you lived there? I know you were a member of SATI.
SATI is a highly respected and widely recognized institution and is the only such body in the Southern part of the African continent. While I was a SATI member, I worked in Angola and never attended their conferences for business and immigration reasons. However, I reaped the benefits of my membership on several occasions by gaining exposure to the profession and various employment opportunities in the language field. I also participated in SATI-organized workshops and was able to network and attend webinars and development training courses at member rates. Equally important was the privilege to use the SATI logo on my materials and stationery.
Thanks for the link to the institute. I’ll include it here for our members:
https://www.translators.org.za/
Could you share a bit of your background, please?
I was born and raised in Angola, specifically in the Dondo municipality, 200 km from the nation’s capital. I was the youngest of five children whose parents were devoted to self-sufficient farming and lived a very modest life. Portuguese is one of the official languages of my country and the language used in government and education. For financial reasons and lack of higher-level educational institutions, I left my parents when I was 16 to further my education. It was neither a good nor an advisable choice because the country was facing an unprecedented fratricide war, and I was just a teenager, but the desire to pursue my studies was strong, and I took that radical and risky step. I will never forget leaving my siblings behind and going places where I knew nobody. It was what I regard as perhaps the most impactful decision of my entire life. Angola is a rich country in terms of natural resources and very hospitable people. However, it is one of the most expensive countries in the world and, at the same time, most of its people survive on less than 10 dollars a day. Worse still, the people in power perpetuate a never-ending environment of corruption, hostility, and oppression.
Did you attend college in Angola?
I received high scores in my college entrance exams at the end of high school and was admitted into Luanda’s Higher Training Institute’s Language Department (Instituto Superior de Ciências de Educação), where I became a student of English Linguistics. My interest in becoming a language professional was born during this time. The variety of subjects I was exposed to during my undergraduate studies reinforced and solidified my intense interest in English and expanded my horizon. I gained insight into other cultures. I worked as a translator for several years and joined SATI (South Africa Translators Institute) and ANELTA (Angolan Association of English Language Teachers). During my last year of college, I was invited and ended up joining IATEFL (International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language) and attended one of their annual conferences with exhibits, which was held in the UK.
New York City can be scary. Had you been in the US before your arrival?
Surrounded by water, New York is a busy and hard-working city. Dirty and incredibly expensive, it can also be very noisy. Upon my arrival, I held two, sometimes three, jobs in order to survive. The urban diversity was incredible to me at first. So many languages… And the dress, the habits, the food, they are from almost every corner of the world. The city is beautiful, though, with its rivers, parks, beaches, galleries, the opera, the symphony, and, more importantly, the famous Broadway. The weather seems to be always excessive, either hot or cold, with snow in the winter and humidity in the summer. Spring and fall are delightful, albeit so short… When it comes to safety, I have not yet felt unsafe, but I know that crime is on the rise all over the city now. It is surprising for me to hear from the city authorities that NYC is one of the safest large cities in the country and the world.
I am presently working as a substitute teacher in New York public schools. Also, I have been a freelance medical interpreter for about five years. Before moving to the US, I worked as a translator for over 10 years, specifically in the fields of oil, contracts, education, and health. I put translation aside upon moving here, took a medical interpreter’s course, and started freelancing. My goal is to join the healthcare industry full-time, either as a medical interpreter, HR staff, or as a healthcare teacher. I want to positively influence the health behavior of people and communities.
When did you learn about the ATA and PLD?
It was in 2016. I was a member of SATI, like I told you. When I arrived in the US, I went online to find a similar body and came across the ATA. I was soon interviewed by the then-PLD administrator, and here I am.
Major challenge(s) in life/career:
My current challenge is the significant transition I am going through. My line of work was very different from the current one in so many ways: context, circumstances, and barriers, to mention just a few. A very different reality. I brought my judgment, commitment, and high motivation, though. I decided not only to acquire new primary skills and knowledge but, more importantly, to invest in a graduate-level education to successfully meet the expectations I set for myself.
Congratulations on starting your master’s degree. Can you tell us which school you are going to? And how is it going for you?
My current graduate program provides me insights into the US health care system and how it is financed. Plus, my studies give me a framework to address a wide range of healthcare issues explicitly and consistently. More importantly, they are solidifying my medical interpreter knowledge and skills, specifically when it comes to the terminology of the healthcare industry.
A proud moment(s) in your life/career:
I had some in the past, but the proudest is yet to come. I predict that it will be the completion of my graduate studies.
Currently on your reading list:
I am presently concentrated on the impossibly long list of reading assignments for my master’s degree in Healthcare Administration.
Menezes, I truly enjoyed interviewing you.
Welcome again to our PLD family.
**Interview by Tereza Braga **
Leave a Reply