Harding students used foreign language skills to translate for parent-teacher conferences at local schools. A group of students helped public schools in the Searcy area by translating for non-English-speaking parents at parent-teacher conferences. Dr. Kristi Bond, assistant professor and chair of foreign languages and international studies, discussed what led to the formation of this service for the community. "It started a few years ago when a friend of mine over at [Searcy] High School had contacted me to say that they needed some help with translating for conferences," Bond said. "All I have to do now is go in, and after the teachers have signed up for the conferences, I recruit our people who are going to translate. Senior Bailey Warpula, double major in social work and Spanish, said she hoped to make conferences more relaxing and less intimidating for the parents. "If I could be someone there to be by their side and just be that person putting into their ear everything that's going on the whole time and putting them at ease, then that's what I hope I'm doing," Warpula said. Junior history major Grady Moore spent time overseas and looked back on his experiences to relate to the families with which he worked. "I was in Rwanda this summer and then I studied abroad last fall in Europe and just experiencing the language barrier and not being able to express myself and kind of the divide that is created by that," Moore said. "It makes me empathetic for people who are here and don't speak English." Junior Spanish major Kassy Gutierrez translated for parents at che conferences and tutored Spanish-speaking students. "I just love that I can work with students and use the ability to speak Spanish for something," Gutierrez said. "This seems like a great avenue to put to use the ability I have in a way that helps others, and it's not just for fun." Bond recalled one conference where she translated for a mother who had never been told how her daughter had been performing in school. Bond remembered it being a powerful moment. "The teacher was talking about how well-behaved the daughter was, and she kind ofwent into specifics about, you know, 'She's encouraging to the other students, and she's really a leader in the classroom,"' Bond said. "Imagine being a parent and not knowing how other people are interacting in reality to your child. It just was very impactful, and [the mother] cried, and she was so happy to be able to understand, so I think families really appreciate it." story by Zach Bissell 87 I ENGLISH, FOREIGN LANGUAGE & HISTORY
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