Fatemeh A.
Interpreter of the Month

The Bridge is pleased to introduce Fatemeh as our “ Interpreter of the Month”, March 2006.

Languages: Farsi, Turkish, English
Years as professional linguist: 11 years

As we continue to tell the stories of our colleagues every month, we find that each has a unique and varied background. This month’s interpreter is no exception. Fatemeh (pronounced Fah-teh-ma) holds both a Bachelors and a Masters degree in Animal Science from North Dakota State University. Fatemeh was born and raised in Iran. She and her husband moved to the United States in the early 80’s with the goal of attaining a solid education in agriculture. She wanted to learn everything she could about advanced farming technology and animal husbandry so that one day she could go back to Iran and start a profitable farming operation and teach others in her country to do the same.

It never worked out for Fatemeh’s family to return to their home land; rather they stayed and built a life here. Fatemeh started interpreting in 1995 as a volunteer. An acquaintance asked Fatemeh to interpret for her at a medical appointment; she was immediately intrigued. Because of her animal science training, she found herself familiar with many of the medical terms used during the appointment. Interpreting became a unique way for her to use her educational background.

Interpreting mainly in the Fargo/Moorhead area, Fatemeh has seen an explosive growth in cultural diversity within the community in the last 15 years. When she first moved to the area, she said it was rare to see individuals from other cultures. Now, the area has a unique blend of language groups and cultures such as: Hispanic, Iraqi, Iranian, Kurdish, Turkish, Afghanistan, Somali and more.

Fatemeh is an approved Legal/Court interpreter through the MN Court Interpreter Program and has received in-depth medical interpreting training through CCHCP’s “Bridging the Gap” program. She enjoys working with the different cultures represented within her sphere of languages and believes the art of diplomacy is one of her strong suits. She also has a strong belief in practicing confidentiality with all of her clients.

“I enjoy what I’m doing and I’m glad I can help people speaking my languages. I understand the difficulty that they are in. I know what it’s like not being able to communicate with your doctor. There was no interpreting system in place when I came here. Now there is. I want to be an interpreter for the rest of my life. This work gives me the satisfaction that I have done something positive for the day.”