Donna Leahy has been with OPHS since the 1987 fall semester. She worked at MSU for a year prior to that as an independent interpreter contractor.
Donna earned her degree in vocational rehabilitation at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. During her studies, she visited a vocational program for deaf students in St. Paul, Minnesota. The frustration she and others experienced while trying to communicate with the deaf students led to her interest in interpreting.
She attended a six week intensive interpreting institute (now programs take two years to complete), and began using her interpreting skills on the job.
At a comprehensive rehabilitation center in Indianapolis, she worked with severely multiply handicapped deaf adults. Interpreting became part of her position while working with deaf staff and clients.
Donna says she really enjoys the challenge of the classroom. "I make a conscientious effort while interpreting to get the information across the way the professor is."
Truly interpreting the words of another is difficult. "I work very hard at being sure the specific meaning of words and the way they're interpreted into signs is conceptually accurate," says Donna.
Working with other interpreters is also a job perk, says Donna. "There are things I can learn from the other interpreters."
In her off hours, Donna enjoys reading novels with good character development, such as those by Sue Harrison.