During January 2nd and 26th, five students from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS) embarked on a meaningful internship at the 99 Adult Day Care Center in Philadelphia.

Xinyi Zhu, Lotus Yan, Amber Huang, Gina Zhang, and Yuki Yang, each from different majors at MIIS, shared a common passion and concern for senior service. They dedicated themselves to this month-long internship, providing language services to elder residents of the community, breaking down language barriers, and enhancing the well-being of the elder community.

Student providing interpreting services

The internship entailed a range of responsibilities aimed at improving the quality of life for elder residents at the center:

• Daily interpretation to support elders’ communication during phone calls and recreational activities.
• Develop and localize the center’s website.
• Translation employee handbooks and company procedures.
• Online interpretation for a 2-hour informational session on a community event.

Reflecting on their experiences, Xinyi Zhu shared,

Regarding insights gained from community interpretation, she said, “In community interpretation work, our service recipients rely entirely on our translations, which helps build trust between interpreters and the audience, fostering a close connection.”