American Sign Language/English Interpreting
This program is intended for individuals seeking to become ASL/English interpreters for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing. It prepares students for interpreting in a variety of jobs settings such as legal, educational, medical, etc. It is an austere and highly competitive course of study, which requires copious amounts of hands-on training that is obtained through in-class practice and personal interaction with the local Deaf population. A combination of empirical knowledge as well as practical application will be employed in order to achieve the level of excellence required in this field.
Meet the faculty
Jessica Bentley-Sassaman graduated from Bloomsburg University in 2001 with her Bachelor's of Science degree in Interpreting. She earned her Master's of Art degree in Linguistics from Gallaudet University in 2006. Mrs. Bentley-Sassaman has been interpreting professionally since 2001 earning her Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA) from Boystown Research Hospital, Certification of Transliteration, and Certification of Interpretation from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID). She is currently enrolled at Walden University working on her doctoral degree in Education. Mrs. Bentley-Sassaman is also involved in the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (PARID). She sits as a board member representing the Northeast chapter (NEPARID) as its president.
Bridget Klein graduated from Keuka College, in New York in 2003 with a baccalaureate degree in American Sign Language. She then graduated from Gallaudet University in 2006. There she studied sign language teaching. In 2007 she earned a graduate certificate in Deaf History while also focusing on Culture studies. Ms. Klein is currently working toward her ASLTA certification. During the summers of 2006 and 2007, she went to France to record history from Deaf people on film for a research project. She also went to Berlin, Germany for one week to attend the Deaf History International Conference. From there she went to Stockholm, Sweden for another week, to attend the Deaf Researcher Conference.