FEATURE
“So, What Do You Want to Do With This Degree?” By: Leandra Williams, Ph.D. NAD V, CI and CT When I decided to return to YOUTUBE LINK: https://youtu.be/OO6b60yKUgE school to get a master’s degree in ASL Interpretation (MAI), it was during a time when an undergraduate seemed to evoke resentfulness and at other times it degree was not required for professional credential- meant nothing at all. This led me to avoid publicizing ing in sign language interpretation. However, I start- my degree status to co-interpreters. However, some ed to notice that more Deaf consumers were enrolled interpreter service companies were eager to recogin graduate-level course work and were securing jobs nize my achievement and add a small increase in in professions that required sign language interpreters pay. I was invited to work as an adjunct professor at to be able to process information with both academic a local IEP. Most importantly, I started to understand and linguistic equivalence. My racial and cultural how important my degree was to the Black Deaf and peers were behind the idea of me getting a graduate Sign Language Interpreting communities. Prior to degree (more so than I) however, many of my col- my graduation, there was only one other Black Inleagues questioned my motives and reminded me that terpreter who had received this degree – Dr. Jackie there was no professional advantage in getting a grad- Bruce. In many ways, my decision was paying off. uate degree. I would not be financially compensated for getting this degree and would still be hired to work the same jobs that they were hired to do – with their undergraduate degrees. The only exception to this standard was in Interpreter Education Programs (IEPs). Graduate degrees are a prerequisite for teaching in fouryear degree IEPs (Monikowski, 2013.) By some miracle I was accepted into Gallaudet’s program, which proved to be one of the most challenging learning experiences I ever had. I left the program feeling that the time lapsed too fast for me to learn all that I needed to work proficiently in the field. I noticed that with the addition of “M.A.” to my name, some of my peers felt I should be able to Audience members at the Dissertation Defense for Leandra Williams, work in any setting and do so flawlessly. Ph.D. – November 18, 2016 At times, my “Gallaudet” education 24
VIEWS Volume 34 • Issue 4