By Bella Grimaldi Asst. News Editor What's your academic and professional background? I attended school at Northeastern University and Boston University. I studied American Sign Language Interpreting for my undergrad, and then I went on to study deaf education. I was a working professional ASL interpreter for how many years? I mean, I still am, but before I started teaching, I would say I was interpreting for about five or six years, and then I got roped in to start teaching interpreting. So I gave it a try, and I fell in love. I've been an interpreter educator in the field of ASL for 15 years. I actually taught at Northeastern University for 15 years. So I'm coming to FSU from there, from Boston. I have worn the hat of being a teacher of the deaf. I've done that more so in what they call itinerant style, which means that I would go to schools where deaf children were - what's called mainstream, meaning it's not a deaf school - it's a regular public school. I would come in as somebody who knew how to sign and could provide them academic support in their first language of ASL. So I would bop around. I did a lot of work in the Worcester public school system for that. I did that for, I'd say, four or five years, but for the most part, I would say my main focus has been interpreter education. That's what I teach here. What brought you to FSU? I was at that program at Northeastern teaching for, like I said, 15 years. And truly, they were family to me. But I started as an adjunct here at FSU a few years ago, and I just fell in love with the students here. Very refreshing! I was in awe in one of my first semesters here. I had students who were thanking me at the end of classes and who had bright smiles on their faces when they came into the classroom. I was very much used to working at a very large institution. I don't want to say that the students felt more like a number, but it was not nearly as what I'd say, intimate or friendly as FSU’s campus. So when the woman whom I replaced retired … she asked me if I would be interested in coming here full time, and I jumped at it. I just knew. I knew that this program has a ton of potential for growth. The students are outstanding and super committed. What's really neat about FSU, in my field of ASL and interpreting education, is there's a deaf school right down the street. The Learning Center for the Deaf is right down the street. So I saw so much potential, given the community that FSU is embedded in, for future interpreters. What is your teaching philosophy? My undergraduate career was spent at Northeastern University. They are known for their co-op, which is an internship program. So they're big on experiential education. So I am huge, huge, huge on, “If I can't get my students out in the community for experiential education opportunities, I am bringing those experiential ed opportunities into the classroom.” I'm bringing community members into the classroom if, like I said, if I can't get them out to go meet the people, go meet deaf people in the Framingham area, I am going to bring those deaf people into our classroom. So I think community engagement, experiential ed, those are two huge things for me and huge things for becoming a member of the deaf community. What are your hobbies? I love lifting weights. I've run marathons, so I love being active. I played soccer in college, and I'm a soccer coach. Both of my kids love soccer too, now. I'm a mom, I think most of my students know this, but I've got two daughters. I'm a mom of a current middle schooler, a 13-year-old, so I'm officially in the teenage years. My younger one is 9. I'm a girl mom. What advice would you give FSU students? I think that certainly not everyone chooses to go the college route, but I think if you have made the decision and you continue to show up here - give it your all. You know, go all in. FSU offers a lot of opportunities. Grab them while you can. I think four years to get a degree sounds like a long time, but it goes by in the blink of an eye. Invest in the friendships that you make while here, because those are the people that you're going to end up leaning on when you leave these doors. I made some of my closest friends during my college years. I might not see them often. We're all busy parents now and working and what not, but they've become dear, dear friends that I think I'll have forever. So those connections are really important.