And Away We Grow… – Part II

Continuing our retrospective, Jennifer De La Cruz answers our questions:

NAJIT Blog- What did you learn from your participation in the blog?

Jennifer:
Simply put, I have learned how much has to go into publishing your thoughts for your professional colleagues. We have to consider how relevant, impactful, and moving our pieces will be for readers across the board. Because our audience varies, our topics must contain lots of variety as well. I have found it helpful to plan my entries close in time to publication because I often find inspiration in current events and recent real-life situations from my work in court. Most importantly, I have developed a deep respect for our colleagues who frequently and consistently publish blogs and share relevant content through social media. It’s not as easy as it looks.

NB – How did the articles published in the blog impact you professionally?
Jen:
I think the biggest impact has been on my ability to see the bigger picture. It’s easy to think that what I experience in my professional life would be similar to what a colleague experiences only a few states away. Nothing could be less true. I feel called to be more open to helping advance the profession I love through connecting on a broader scale. I think every participant in the judicial interpreting and translation profession across the country should be aware of this bigger picture, and the efforts of NAJIT toward this end are an excellent vehicle for raising awareness.

We are grateful to our colleagues for their generosity, friendship and overall sense of community and look forward to bringing more interesting and meaningful articles to our readers in 2014.

May we all have a fulfilling New Year!