Francelia “Frenchie” Espinoza ’22

Putting the Knox Experience to Work

Knox College's Spanish translation and interpretation program has given its participants a leg up when it comes to graduate school and professional opportunities. Read more about how Francelia “Frenchie” Espinoza ’22 has used her coursework  to achieve post-graduate success.

How did the courses, classes, and experiences help you at grad school?

Szold Distinguished Service Professor of Modern Languages Robin Ragan really teaches you how to be professional. I always felt like she was in my head, and I took her into my clinic. She also taught us to make sure we have our voices heard in the room. If we hear a medical interpreter say the wrong thing, we should not call out our peer, but help them reword it for the patient or doctor to better understand what each means.

What is something you still remember most about the program?

One of the more impactful articles I worked on was translating testimonials from former political prisoners in Nicaragua. It was part of a larger project Robin was working on that won an award. It was an honor to be part of such a big thing. I still feel lucky to have been involved.

Did you pursue any of the translation or interpreting trips or programs?

In my senior year, Robin invited me to join her program at the Mexico-U.S. border. I was able to get one of the grants Knox provides, and that allowed me to travel during the summer. The trips have their ups and downs, but Robin is such a force that she takes everything with grace and really sets a good example.

Learn more about Knox's Spanish translation and intepretation program in Knox Magazine.