On April 6, 2024, at the University of Houston Downtown, CEO Ludmila Golovine awarded Marilu Lopez Lara the 2024 MasterWord Student Scholarship for her outstanding achievements as a student in the Houston Community College (HCC) Translation and Interpretation Program. Marilu was recognized while attending the National Healthcare Interpreter Certification Summit, an important national industry event hosted by the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI), where she got to rub shoulders with some of the giants in the field.
The CCHI summit provided an ideal backdrop for this award, bringing together stakeholders from across the nation to discuss the future of the healthcare interpreting profession, share insights, and celebrate achievements. This year’s summit marks the 15-year anniversary of CCHI, who are celebrating a decade and a half of remarkable contributions to the profession. It was an honor for MasterWord to invite Marilu and HCC instructor Maria Ibrahim, herself a Certified Healthcare Interpreter, as special guests.
For eight consecutive years, MasterWord has provided this scholarship to exceptional HCC students, starting with Veronika Demichelis in 2016. The scholarship covers CCHI healthcare interpreter certification exam costs, a nationally recognized professional certification.
Houston Community College’s Translation and Interpretation program, which got its start in 2015, has been instrumental in preparing students like Marilu for successful careers in this vital field. The program’s comprehensive curriculum and hands-on training equip students with the skills needed to excel in various interpreting environments and has evolved significantly over the years, adding specializations in healthcare, legal, and simultaneous interpretation, and recently introducing a focus on localization and audiovisual translation. This evolution reflects the dynamic nature of the industry and the growing demand for specialized skills in areas such as digital marketing and SEO localization.
The team at MasterWord extend our heartfelt congratulations to Marilu Lopez Lara on receiving the 2024 MasterWord Student Scholarship. Her dedication to her studies and her enthusiasm for medical interpreting are inspiring. We also express our gratitude to HCC for their partnership and commitment to excellence in interpreter education. Lastly, we thank CCHI for their unwavering dedication to the certification and professionalization of healthcare interpreters, making events like the 2024 National Healthcare Interpreter Certification Summit possible.
This scholarship is more than just financial support; it’s a symbol of our belief in the potential of individuals like Marilu to make a difference in the world through their work as interpreters. We look forward to seeing the positive impact Marilu and her fellow students will have on the interpreting profession and the communities they serve.
