Interpreting is more than. It is more than in almost every aspect of the phrase. Graduating from the Douglas College Program of Sign Language Interpretation is more than graduating from any program. Douglas College, at its core, is a place to learn and a place to train. It is somewhere where your skills are practiced and you are given every opportunity to hone in on those skills and make yourself a better skilled sign language interpreter. However, there is much more to the program and the education I received. I learned how to be more than an interpreter, which is what makes a good interpreter. It involves being more than a language facilitator. A sign language interpreter is more than a neutral presence in a room. They are more than an employee of a school, business, or governing body. They are more than someone who knows how to use a language of such a marginalized group of people. In order to be a successful interpreter I need to be “more than”

I need to do more than just a graduate from an interpreter training program; I need to continue my education, learning, and professional development throughout my career. I need to do more than show up to work every day; I need to be a part of the Deaf community I am working with. I need to do more than understand what my privilege and power means; I need to act according to my power and privilege. I must know my position of power as someone who holds the key to both languages used by everyone in the room. A sign language interpreter is more than someone who knows sign language and English. They are the gateway to education for young children in school, they are the avenue to information for employees, and they are the connecting force between friends and family who use different languages.

As I sign language interpreter I strive to continue to be more than, today, tomorrow, next year, and for the rest of my career.

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My philosophy statement came out of many failed attempts at writing my Philosophy of Practice paper. As I continued to try and hone in on what it was I wanted to say I kept going off track, or coming up with new ideas. I could never really narrow in on just one aspect af what my philosophy is in regards to being a sign language interpreter. In the end that ended up being the most important aspect that I took out of my philosophy of practice. I don’t want a career that just is what it is. Being a sign language interpreter offers a career that is more than that and gives me the opportunity to learn something new every day and continue to better my practice at every chance I get.