WAVLI 2008 Award

Congratulations to Jami Nystrom the 2008 recipient!  She was awarded at the recent Spring AGM on April 4th.  Here are some of the things that were said about her contribution to the field:

If this person has not been nominated before, I’m sure you would agree her impact on our professional field need to be recognized. Here are some of the highlights:
Graduated in 1989, 20 years of experience
While she is one of the most talented and skillful interpreters, she also has a supportive and humble attitude.
She has a wicked sense of humour that can lighten even the toughest of times, she combines that with an incredible amount of compassion for everyone she comes into contact with.
She is open and willing to mentor practicum students and new graduates
every year. She also has been involved with the twin mentoring program at Douglas College for many years.
She creates a safe learning environment for everyone to work in, and from my understanding, has recently began a mentorship program for new interpreters to work with seasoned interpreters.
She supports interpreters and encourages them to reach their full potential.  
She is the chair of the AVLIC DRP committee.
She successfully fought for fair wages for interpreters working at VCC.  This supported interpreters and coordinators across the country in their efforts to set up competitive contracts ensuring that post secondary students are able to get interpreters for their classes.  
She was also instrumental in the fight to save the ASL Deaf studies program last year.
I feel that Jami Nystrom needs to be recognized for all of her efforts and work that she has done for our community through the years. In my opinion, she is definitely deserving of this year's WAVLI award.