List of 3 members.

• 

  Heidi Catalan 

  American School for the Deaf

  Supervisor, ASD Interpreting Department

  2018

  Bio

  Heidi Catalan is a heritage signer of American Sign Language and has been interpreting since 2003.  She graduated from Eastern Connecticut State University in 1998 and served in the Army National Guard from1994-2003. After her time in the military, she began her interpreting career in Savannah, Georgia. She later returned to Connecticut and worked for the State of Connecticut DORS Interpreting Unit and the University of Connecticut before joining the American School for the Deaf family.  
• 

  Kat Northup 

  2021

  Bio

  Kat Northup is a nationally certified ASL interpreter with over 20 years of experience in a vast array of settings. Driven by her heritage, she takes pride in providing the highest quality services that tailor to each consumers communication needs and preferences to the best of her ability. As an ASL interpreter, she strives to continuously improve her personal and professional skills and leave a positive impact on the field and the individuals she encounters. 
  
  Kat was fortunate to be raised within the Deaf community and using ASL as one of her heart languages. She is what others may call a COCA-CODA. This means that she is a "Child of a CODA Adult" (her mother) and a "Child of a Deaf Adult" (her father). She is passionate about carrying on the legacy of her parents work and involvement within the Deaf community. This includes her work as an interpreter and mentor, as well as her former service on the Arkansas Association of the Deaf board and her volunteer service at multiple Deaf community events.
  
  She spent the first 12 years of her career solely as a free-lance interpreter, otherwise known as an independent contractor. In 2013, Kat joined the interpreting staff at the Texas School for the Deaf, during which time she broadened her skills and professional network for the next 7 years. In 2021, she decided to move back home to Arkansas and join the staff of the American School for the Deaf as a virtual and "traveling" interpreter.  She has vast experience within several settings, such as:
  

  • Medical
  • Mental Health
  • Performing Arts
  • Platform/Conference
  • Employment/Business
  • Religious
  • Educational (K-12 & Postsecondary)
  • Legal
  • and more...

  She even did a short stint as a high school English and math teacher at a residential school for the deaf in the early 2000s. 
  
  In addition to her primary job functions, Kat is also a self-proclaimed  inner tech geek with OCD tendencies. She enjoys developing programs and/or media that enhance the quality of interpreting services provided. She also assist in the scheduling and assigning of interpreters for the ASD Interpreting Department.
  
  Kat graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology & Sociology in 2005. After a several year hiatus, she was able to fulfill a promise and received her Master's degree in Teaching ASL in 2020.
  
  If you would like to know more, or are an interpreting student looking for a mentor, please feel free to contact her at kat.northup@asd-1817.org.

• Fatima Silvestre 

  2022

  Bio

  Fatima Silvestre is a nationally Certified Deaf Interpreter with over 13 years of experience in various settings. At the beginning of 2009, she worked as a freelancer interpreter in many different settings such as Mental Health, Audience Interpreter, Press Conference, Medical, K-12 Education, Legal, and more. She also does mentoring, tutoring, and teaching of American Sign Language (ASL), as well as giving presentations to the community and providing workshops. Then in 2016, she transitioned to work for the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing as a Legal CDI staff interpreter for 6 years. She joined American School for the Deaf as CDI staff interpreter in September 2022.    

   

  She is an alum of the American School for the Deaf, graduated in 1990. She is proud to be a part of this school and contribute her time here because that's where she thrives when it comes to communication access. She graduated from NTID with Optical Lab Technician degree,  then her career changed. So she attended Springfield College and received her Bachelor's of Science (BS) in Human Services. At the same time, she attended the "Road to Deaf Interpreting"  Program to become CDI.