“Education is the most important treasure I can give to you,” said Odarely M. Bejar’s mother, a teacher in Mexico. Over the years, Bejar came to understand the truth of those words. Bejar moved from Mexico to the United States with her mother in 2001. She excelled in her studies at Northern High School in Durham, where she was a member of the National Honor Society. After high school, Bejar enrolled in Durham Tech’s Spanish Facilitator certificate program. Because she was interested in the medical field, she then enrolled in the Medical Spanish Facilitator certificate program. As a student, Bejar was able to practice her skills at UNC Hospitals, shadowing professional interpreters as they helped patients and families who did not speak English communicate with doctors and nurses who did not speak Spanish. While on the job, she also learned much about the medical environment. Soon Bejar’s skills were called on throughout the hospital.

Her volunteer work for her courses led to another interest. Bejar is now enrolled in Durham Tech’s Associate Degree Nursing program. She attends courses during the week. On weekends, she works part time at UNC Hospitals, using her facilitating skills. “I always love going to work,” she said. She would like a job that combines her medical and facilitator expertise, perhaps in patient relations.

“The Community Spanish Facilitator certificate was the perfect match for me.  The evening classes fit very well with my work schedule and the material focused on practical real-world vocabulary and scenarios.  In addition to textbook knowledge, I gained valuable interpreting practice within a safe and constructive environment as well as information about relevant professional organizations, certification, further education, and sage advice about working in the field of interpretation post graduation”.
                                       
James Walker
Strategic Services Associate
Performance Improvement
Durham Regional Hospital

“I have been very impressed with the quality of the Spanish Community Facilitator Certificate program at Durham Technical Community College. I’m a first generation Mexican-American, the first in my family to go to college, and I was blessed with the opportunity to go on and receive graduate degrees in English and became a teacher and college professor. However, I decided to change careers and work as an interpreter or translator, or in non-profit or government work serving Latinos, because I wanted to give something back to the Latino community. Despite being a native Spanish-speaker, I’ve realized that it takes a lot more than simply native fluency to become a good
interpreter or translator! This program has put me through my paces and taught me not just grammar and vocabulary, but also about what it takes to be a professional interpreter and translator”.

Maria Susana Hensley Castellanos
Graduate

Several years ago, while she was taking English as a Second Language courses, Iris Chicas- Chavarria picked up a flyer for Durham Tech’s Community Spanish Facilitator certificate. She decided to enroll in the certificate program to expand her skills.

“The classes were very exciting because of the teacher and the topics,” she says. “My favorite parts were the debates that took place in each class. Also, the diversity of my classmates allowed me to learn about their cultures.”

Before coming to Durham Tech, Chicas-Chavarria had already earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of El Salvador. At Durham Tech, she completed both the Community Spanish Facilitator and the Medical Facilitator certificates. Today she works as a Spanish interpreter for an area hospital.

“I apply everything I learned from my two certificates at Durham Tech,” she says.