It's about Community

This year marks a special milestone for Professional Interpreters, Inc. We are celebrating 20 years in business.

As I reflect on this journey, I realize that my story in interpretation began long before the company was founded. For more than 30 years, I have had the privilege of serving as an interpreter, helping people communicate during some of the most important moments of their lives.

Over the years, I have interpreted in hospitals when families received life-changing news. I have been present during births, surgeries, medical diagnoses, graduations, weddings, funerals, court proceedings, and countless everyday conversations that might seem ordinary to some but meant everything to the people involved.

What I have learned is that interpretation is about much more than language.

It is about connection.

It is about dignity.

It is about ensuring that every person has the opportunity to be heard and understood.

One experience that never fails to touch my heart happens when I am out in the community. Every so often, someone will approach me in a grocery store or at a local event with a big smile and ask, "Do you remember me?"

I will do my best to remember, but after thousands of interpreting assignments over the years, it can be difficult to place the face right away.

Then they will introduce me to a teenager standing beside them and say, "This is my daughter. You were there when she was born."

They tell me how scared they were at the hospital. How they didn't understand what the doctors were saying. How overwhelmed and alone they felt. Then they tell me that having an interpreter there helped them understand what was happening and gave them comfort during one of the most important days of their lives.

Then they look at their child and say, "And now look at her."

In those moments, I am reminded that what may have been one day in my career was a life-changing moment for someone else. After all these years, they still remember that encounter because it mattered. Being trusted to help families communicate during such important moments is a privilege that I never take for granted.

When I founded Professional Interpreters, Inc. twenty years ago, my vision was simple: provide high-quality language services while serving the community that I love. I wanted to build a company that treated every client, every patient, every provider, and every interpreter with respect.

Over the years, we have grown, but our mission has remained the same.

We are not simply translating words. We are helping people navigate healthcare, understand important information, advocate for themselves, celebrate milestones, and make informed decisions for themselves and their families.

One of the greatest rewards has been watching the impact that language access has on our community. When a patient finally understands a diagnosis, when a parent can fully participate in a school meeting, or when a family can celebrate a graduation in their native language, we are reminded why this work matters.

I am incredibly grateful to our clients, interpreters, healthcare partners, community organizations, and the many people who have trusted us over the past twenty years.

Thank you for allowing us to be part of your stories.

As we celebrate this anniversary, we remain committed to our mission of breaking down language barriers and strengthening the communities we serve.

Here's to the next chapter of serving our community—one conversation at a time.

— DeAnna Tapia
Founder, Professional Interpreters, Inc.