I was first introduced to the mysterious and beautiful country of Japan in 2002. I immediately fell in love with the culture, scenery, and people of Japan. However, at that point I could not speak, read or write Japanese. Determined to understand and communicate with the people around me I began to study Japanese in earnest, and have not stopped studying since. Even after moving back to America two years later, my passion for Japanese has not decreased.

After having children, I decided that I would continue learning Japanese with them. At first teaching them basic vocabulary was easy, but as they got older, I found myself having to study even more diligently in order to keep up with their learning pace! It was at this point that I first contemplated the idea of working in translation. I wanted to be able to explain to my children in Japanese material that I had read or hear in English.

As a volunteer, in 2007 I completed my first work of translation. I was astounded at how difficult translation was, and realized that just being fluent in two languages does not make one successful in translation. At this point I began researching various translation schools, but none of them offered a degree in translation. I felt that merely taking a few classes would not be enough to develop skills as a translator.

Recently, I heard about Babel University of Translation. Babel is an accredited university that offers a Masters degree in translation, which was exactly what I had been looking for. Furthermore, the working scholarship system allows me to earn my tuition while studying. This was the ideal situation for me, so I immediately applied. To my great delight, I was accepted into the university and working scholarship program.

The Babel university classes are challenging and very well organized. Although I have just begun classes, I have already found myself improving in my translation skills.

In the future I hope to work in medical translation. My son aspires to become a doctor, so I have a vested interest in this area. Also, I believe there is a high demand for quality translation in the medical field, which will allow me to be able to hopefully find steady work in the future.