FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:Steve Vehorn Phone: (804) 523-5229 E-Mail: svehorn@reynolds.edu
JSRCC PERSONNEL PLAY LEADING ROLE AT REGIONAL INTERPRETER CONFERENCE
RICHMOND, Va (July 12, 2006) - Students and faculty from the J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College American Sign Language & Interpreter Education (ASL&IE) Program recently played key roles in the 2006 Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) Region II Convention held earlier this month in Herndon, Virginia. Over 350 individuals attended the conference, which is a biennial educational opportunity that brings together interpreters from nine southeastern states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Three JSRCC students (one from each year of the interpreter education sequence) were chosen to participate as student representatives. Felecia Redd (Tucker HS/Richmond, VA), a candidate for spring 2007 graduation, coordinated all student representatives at the conference, and Felecia Parham (Fulton HS/Atlanta, GA) and Susan May (Gill Country Day/Richmond, VA), candidates for summer 2007 and spring 2008 graduation, respectively, were chosen as student representatives. JSRCC ASL&IE was the only program to have more than one student chosen during a highly competitive selection process.
“The selection of our three students from such a competitive field of applicants evidences the depth and quality of our students and program,” said Bruce A. Sofinski, JSRCC ASL&IE Coordinator. “Being able to interact with nationally-known presenters and interpreters is an excellent opportunity for our students to expand their horizons and expectations.”
Three JSRCC faculty members, Greg Camp, Natalie Williams and Mr. Sofinski, were selected to present at the 3-day convention. Mr. Camp served as the 2006 conference chair, and Mr. Sofinski coordinated the activities of this year’s conference program committee.
With more than 250 students, JSRCC ASL&IE is poised to add a second associate degree option in fall 2006 with the American Sign Language – English Interpretation Associate in Applied Science. This terminal degree joins the ASL/Deaf Studies specialization to the Associate of Science - Social Sciences transfer degree implemented in January 2006. For more information about JSRCC ASL&IE, contact ASL&IE Coordinator Bruce Sofinski at 804-523-5604 or bsofinski@reynolds.edu. For additional information on JSRCC, visit www.reynolds.edu.
