After graduation I will be moving to Ottawa to work as a sign language interpreter in Ottawa and its surrounding regions. While I am working in Ottawa I am hoping to be involved in some professional development over the next couple of years.
Some of the upcoming opportunities in Ottawa are:
- A potential Betty Colonomos workshop hosted by Sign Language Interpreters of the National Capital (SLINC)
- A music/poetry workshop taught by a fellow SLINC member
- I would like to get involved with any Deaf sports programs in the Ottawa area
- Work within SLINC as I have accepted a position as the pending VP on the SLINC board
- Meeting with some of the board members of the Canadian Deaf Sports Association (CDSA)
- Potentially travelling to Montreal for the 2020 Canadian Deaf Games (CDG)
- CASLI 2020 in Vancouver
As it stands right now these are the only real/confirmed opportunities available to me in the upcoming years. That being said, whenever a professional development is made available to me in Ottawa I plan on attending. As a new grad it is extremely important for my interpreting abilities to continually be worked on. I would also like to take the opportunity as a member of the SLINC board to look at the professional development plan in Ottawa and try to be a part of encouraging more professional development within SLINC and the Ottawa area in general
Another area where I need to pursue professional development is invoicing, billing, and financing. Although it will not be a formal workshop I do plan on working with a family member who is a CPA. My hope is that he will be able to help me better understand invoicing and the tax process for a freelance worker.
Chris Chiarelli - An INTR Journey 