Mentorship Difficulites

        I know this post is supposed to be identifying my mentor and listing five questions I will be asking them to establish them as an expert in the field of interpretation. However, I have been unable to find someone who can mentor me. I have been working on this for about a month. I had hoped that I would find a mentorship by today so I could post Blog 6, but obviously that didn't happen. I honestly did everything possible in order to get one by the Blog 6 post date. The following is a list of everything I have tried. I haven't yet given up hope that I will find one at all, it's just taking longer than ideal.

• Talked to the head clerk and the interpreters' office at the Pomona Courthouse. Not possible because of court regulations.
• Talked to the supervisor at the center for interpreters at the Los Angeles Superior Court. Also not possible because of court regulations.
• Called multiple interpreters from the listing of all certified interpreters for courthouses. Not possible.
• Talked to the head nurse at Foothill Presbyterian Hospital. Not possible because they no longer use in-person interpreters due to the installation of a new phone system that does the interpreting.
• Talked to a doctor and board member at the Pomona Valley Hospital. Not possible due to HIPAA rules.
• Asked a Department of Children and Family Services social worker for possible opportunities. There are none.
• Asked the woman I interviewed if she would be able to mentor me where she interprets at the Family Center in Covina. No response yet.
• Called several interpreter service companies. Waiting for replies.
• Contacted Karen Rusikoff at Cal Poly. She does not know any interpreters.

Next, I plan to contact more local interpreting agencies to see if they allow job shadowing, as well as follow up with my first interviewee. I also asked my Chinese professor today if she knew any interpreters, and she gave me a couple of ideas of who to contact. Hopefully something comes through soon.