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What is Diversity Academy?

 

“The Place Where Learning Continues”

 

Mission:

To provide a safe, nurturing community for interpreters to connect, learn, and grow.

Diversity Academy for Interpreters primarily aims to build authentic and lasting solidarity with our Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) Interpreters from all positions within our interpreter profession. Therefore, in order to undo Native invisibility, anti-Blackness, dismantle white supremacy and advance racial justice we must first build trust, empathy, and belonging with each other.


Here at Diversity Academy for Interpreters, we use the term BIPOC to highlight the unique relationship to whiteness that Indigenous and Black (African Americans) people have, which shapes the experiences of and relationship to white supremacy for all people of color within a PPO (Power, Privilege, Oppression) context. We unapologetically focus on and center building positive trusting relationships with our BIPOC facilitators and/or presenters.


Vision:

The Interpreter Academy provides CEUs, resources, and cutting-edge information to enhance your personal and professional growth as a diverse interpreter.

Why Diversity Academy?

We love interpreters.
 
Interpreters open up the world to us. They bring us that beautiful, vital bridge of communication between us and the other human beings we want to connect with.
 
I am Dr. Suzette Garay and I have been working with interpreters in different capacities for over 30 years. I especially love tutoring, teaching, and mentoring interpreters on their journey. 
 
At Diversity Academy, we strive to provide a brave, nurturing place where interpreters can access a diverse number of Deaf and Hard of Hearing professionals and consumers, and learn from them.

We bring you the diverse lived experiences that you may not find elsewhere. We want interpreters to THRIVE on their journey to becoming the best possible antiracist interpreter they can be.

I hold the following degrees: a BA, MA, PSY.S and a Ph.D. And my major areas of study are Social Psychology, American Sign Language, and Special Education- Learning Disabilities.

I am currently an Educational Psychologist, who teaches Psychology and a variety of ASL courses either at Waukesha County Technical College and/or online as a private practice. I also work as a Professional Development Presenter with several private-sector non-profit agencies/programs related to sign language, mentoring, and diversity and special education issues.

I have taught distance education online courses and workshops in ASL linguistics, special education, and disability issues throughout the Midwest and at the international or national levels. I am also a nationally certified American Sign Language Instructor and state certified master consultant and professional development trainer who enjoys working with families and very young children teaching them how to utilize American Sign Language with pre-verbal babies.

I also have the following qualifications: 25 + years of direct teaching, evaluating, and mentoring with Special Education students, ASL/Interpreter students, working interpreters, and/or community business members whom use American Sign Language for communicating with their consumers. And I have an excellent rapport with special needs children/adults, language minorities, and/or other special communication disorders. I also am a professional who has experienced personal success with teaching, evaluating, and development of natural ASL skills for many state, national, and/or in-school exams.