Anna Lee takes her job as an American Sign Language-English Interpreter very seriously, and for good reason. In 1997, she was part of a pioneering
program at George Brown College that set out to produce interpreters who could mediate across languages and cultures. It was a whole new approach
to training, and a response to the Deaf community’s demand for graduates who could bridge ASL and English worlds like never before. Lee
and her peers felt a huge responsibility to meet expectations.
“We were under the microscope,” Lee says, at times half-signing her words to add emphasis to her spoken words. “Our faculty
knew this, and they really wanted to see us succeed so they did whatever they could to support our growth.”
The American Sign Language (ASL)-English Interpreter Program at George Brown offered something different. By immersing students in Deaf culture
through various field placements—experience she describes as “invaluable”—they learned a new language along with all of
its cultural aspects.
“ASL is a visual language. You really need to see and feel the work being done. Then you need to come back to the classroom and talk about
it. It’s a constant cycle of learning,” she says.
The placements were also a gateway to employment. Lee found a part-time position with her current employer, The Canadian Hearing Society, soon
after graduation and was then hired full-time a year later as a community interpreter, where she remains. Ten years later, the job is still interesting.
Her days are varied and might include a workplace training session in the morning, a doctor’s appointment after lunch and a university lecture
in the afternoon.
“I get to interact with people in all sorts of ways, from birth to death, I get to see some really good things,” she says, referring
to a story about a Deaf man she interpreted for who was able to overcome some major challenges and express himself creatively once again. “Still
there is a lot of ignorance about what Deaf people can and can’t do.”
Lee doesn’t see her role as a “helper” but more as a provider of access to language and communication. “I am drawn to
working with people and all the possibilities that it entails, their success, their happiness, their independence. In my opinion that is rewarding.”
She is also happy to see the evolution of the program at George Brown. Its growth over the past ten years and the innovation of its curriculum,
such as courses which are team taught by a Deaf person and an interpreter, makes her feel hopeful about the future of interpreting in Canada,
especially considering the high demand for skilled interpreters.
“There are a lot of unfilled requests in the community. There are students in college who can’t get interpreters and others who can’t
go to the doctor,” she says.
To help educate the next generation of skilled interpreters, Lee remains connected to George Brown in many ways: as a mentor, a speaker, an
interpreter and a placement host.
“I had interpreters who gave me opportunities when I was in college. It’s giving back. George Brown has given me a lot,” she
says.
Read more stories from George Brown Graduates...
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PROGRAMS AND COURSES 
