Abstract

This is the story of one interpreter’s pathway into the field of interpreting. During an interview that took place on July 24, 2014, she shared her concerns for the community of signed language interpreters and her aspirations for us to do more. She demonstrates for us that leadership may take a variety of forms; It can happen behind the scenes, in service positions, or through the encouragement and support of others. We learn that personal growth happens just by virtue of being present and open to the people and opportunities that surround us. Always fueled by a desire to do, give, and love more, Jeannette Ocampo “JO” Welch teaches us how to be compassionate practitioners and leaders in the field of signed language interpreting.

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Citation: Oyedele, Erica West (2017) “Doing Leadership: Caring for Our Communities,” Master of Arts in Interpreting Studies (MAIS) Case Studies: Vol. 1 , Article 7.

Erica West Oyedele

Erica West Oyedele, M.A., NIC, is Co-Director of Project CLIMB, a program that serves to increase the number of interpreters of color and interpreters from heritage signing backgrounds working in the legal specialty. She received her Master's from Western Oregon University in 2015. Her research interests include social justice and the recruitment and retention of signed language interpreters of color.

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