Student Representatives
Updates and Profiles
2021-2022
WOU Senior & PCC Second-Yr Representatives
Terricka, also known as Terri within the interpreting community, found her passion for language and culture in an ASL high school class and has been immersed in it ever since. Fast forward a few years later, she found another passion in a Positive Psychology course at WOU and learned what it meant to nurture one’s strengths and improve quality of life.
Now studying ASL/English Interpreting with a minor in ASL Studies and Psychology, Terri hopes to bridge her passions together and spark a new future in Mental Health for interpreters and the respective ASL community. Terri is in her last year of WOU’s ITP and hopes to obtain a Master’s Degree in Interpreting Studies real soon.
Outside of the ASL world, Terri is continuously learning many things about herself. She finds that she enjoys listening to audiobooks, engaging in spiritual practices, playing games on her Nintendo Switch, and scheduling events on her Google Calendar.
Hi! My name is Shayla Barnes. I am in my last year of Western Oregon University's Interpreting Program, graduating in the Spring of 2022 with my B.S. and an ASL Studies minor.
My goal is to become a post-secondary interpreter, with an interest in religious interpreting. I was born and raised in San Diego CA, but now am primarily in OR.
One fun fact about me is that I love writing! I write anything from fiction novels to research project papers. In fact, I hope to get an M.A in Interpreting in the near future so that I can do research on interpreting and interpreter education.
Jourdan Burklund is in her second and final year of Portland Community College’s interpreting program. She is a Portland native who fell in love with ASL in 2009 during her time at Portland State University when she decided to learn a new language whilst obtaining her degree in Biology.
Her education turned to healthcare when she became a dental hygienist. Her focus was on public health dental hygiene. While she loved working with her patients, the field didn’t feel like the right fit for her. In 2019 she decided it was time to change careers and remembered how much she loved ASL.
After taking refresher courses, she got into PCC’s program and hasn’t looked back. As tough as school is, she knows she made the right decision as now she knows what it’s like to follow her passion and it feels incredible.
When she’s not signing, Jourdan is usually either sewing, reading, or playing video games.
Hello! My name is Thalia and I am a second year interpreting student at Portland Community College.
I first learned to sign in high school in the San Fransisco Bay Area. After graduation I moved back to Oregon to study cultural anthropology and ASL at Western Oregon University for a year. Taking a break from academic study, I briefly worked at the Alaska School for the Deaf, solidifying my interest in becoming an interpreter.
I moved back to Oregon in 2019 and enrolled in PCC to complete my education. Along the way, I’ve enjoyed crafting, dancing and traveling.
I look forward to graduating in June of 2022 and working in the wonderful ORID community!
WOU & PCC First Yr Representatives
Hi! My name is Alma-Leah Caballero Mancera but I typically go by Alma Caballero for short. I am a Senior in WOU’s Interpreting Training Program expected to graduate in Spring 2022 with a B.S. and hope to continue my education into WOU’s Master Program in the 2022 Summer.
My curiosity for learning American Sign Language started right out of high school so I decided to take classes at my local community college (Santa Rosa Junior College) back home. I learned ASL there for 3 years and found out I could become an ASL Interpreter so then I looked into ITP programs and decided to attend WOU. I have been here for almost 2 years.
My dream job would be to work in K-12 Education School Setting. Primarily in K-8th grade. I have always loved working with children and I want to combine my love of working with children and interpreting.
Hello! My name is Marc Gonzalez-Martin and I am a senior in Western Oregon University's ASL/English Interpreting Program.
I started learning to sign in California at Santa Rosa Junior College back in 2016, where become involved in their ASL Club and eventually became their President my senior year.
One of my favorite accomplishments during my time in office was establishing a scholarship for Deaf students. Currently, I want to work as a freelance interpreter because I think I would thrive with that level of freedom and want to get experience in a wide variety of interpreting areas.
Some of my hobbies include fishkeeping, and playing video games.
Kelly was born and raised in Colorado and recently relocated to Vancouver, Washington in 2020 to pursue interpreting. Her passion for languages and sign language in particular, began at an early age and has been growing significantly ever since.
Her goal is to pursue a career in post secondary interpreting, but is open to try new things and will follow wherever the job takes her.
Outside of interpreting and her involvement in the dDeaf community, she loves spending time outside with her partner and giant dog, hiking trails, and riding bikes, as well as jumping into a good book and playing board games.
She is a first year student at PCC, and is thrilled to be an ORID student representative!
Sara Smith (she/her/hers) is a first year student in PCC's ASL/English Interpreting Program, originally from Boston, MA. There she completed her B.A. in Acting at Emerson College. Shortly before graduation, Sara met a group of Deaf professionals at her restaurant job. The interaction made her decide to enroll in ASL classes, thinking it would be nice to be able to effectively communicate in the future.
What began as a hobby quickly turned into a passion, and five years later when she moved to Oregon she was committed to entering an interpreting program.
Currently, Sara is completing classes while working at an assisted living community for the Deaf and DeafBlind. Following graduation she hopes to build a career in legal or theatrical interpreting while continuing to learn and work alongside the Deaf community to improve communication access.
