Hamdi
Interpreter of the Month

The Bridge is pleased to introduce Hamdi . as our “Interpreter of the Month”, October 2005.

Languages: Native Somali, Near Native English, Conversational Arabic
Years as professional linguist: 4.5 years

Blending her strong Somali vocabulary and excellent English, Hamdi has a depth of knowledge that makes her a highly sought after and respected interpreter within the community. “It makes me feel good to help someone when there is a language barrier. As an interpreter, I have a responsibility to gain the trust and respect of patients by keeping their appointment information strictly confidential. I take this role very seriously.”

Hamdi’s father was a teacher, a highly educated and respected man who treated all of his children equally. He felt that girls should receive the same level of education that boys received. In traditional Somali culture, girls are expected to marry young, about 15, and bear children. But Hamdi’s father wanted her to graduate from high school, thus delaying her marriage until she was18. Living in Kenya at the time, she attended both public and private school, where classes were taught in both English and Somali.

Hamdi first became interested in interpreting in Marshall, MN, not long after she arrived in the United States to join her husband in 1999. Hamdi was working in a local factory on the assembly line. There she saw how the language barrier was creating communication and training problems for the management. She volunteered to interpret for other Somali workers. Soon she was also interpreting pro bono for friends and family at medical appointments and social services.

After moving to St. Cloud in 2001, Hamdi began interpreting full-time. She started at the County doing health and human service appointments and was soon working with School District 742 and The Bridge. Hamdi thoroughly enjoys living in St. Cloud and values her work as an interpreter. She believes St. Cloud is a welcoming community that has learned tolerance and respect for other cultures.

Hamdi’s plans for the future include attending St. Cloud State University where she hopes to study nursing.