Interpretation validation

A week and a half ago Chloe took the written part of a test to become a DSHS certified medical interpreter in Spanish. DSHS is the Washington state social services agency. We still haven't been able to figure out in what situations the certified interpreters are used because no one at the agency that administers the program in our area seems to know (DSHS in this state is not a well-oiled machine). She was told that she'd get the results in a month. Today she got a letter saying she'd passed. Now she has to take the oral part and when she passes that she'll be certified. In May and June are the tests to be come a Washington State Courts certified interpreter (any criminal defendant who needs an interpreter must be provided one by law). After she's certified she can put herself on a list of interpreters statewide and hope to get some work out of it. It would be a nice college gig because it's on a freelance basis and the pay is about $45 per hour, a nice byproduct of her having to learn Spanish on the fly last year. You just never know what areas of your life will be influenced by your exchange experience.