On our first visit in March 2014.

Destiny and desire have lead me to this project. I have wanted to spend time in Africa for as long as I can remember. In August 2013, I was connected with a professor of Ghanaian Sign Language (GSL) by an international graduate student from Ghana. I sent the professor an email. Two weeks later on the day that I was to meet a colleague from Ghana at my own university, I received an email from the GSL professor expressing his interest in developing some kind of partnership.

When I left my meeting with my colleague, I saw an interpreter who rarely works on our campus. I asked him what was up and he said that he was interpreting for Mobility International USA (MIUSA). I knew that could mean the Regional Resource Center on Deafness (RRCD) would be hosting international visitors, so I asked if there might be someone from Africa (not Ghana — what are the odds?). He said, yes there were three women from Africa, one from Malawi, one from Mali, and one from Ghana. “What?!” I said, “from Ghana?” Really, what are the odds? Sure enough there would be one woman from Ghana. I went and told my WOU colleague and invited him to come and meet her. He came over and we waited outside the room where she would be meeting with faculty from the university. She came walking down the hall and my colleague said, “I know that girl.” I said, “What??!!” She ran over and gave him a hug! His sister had grown up with her. What are the odds? Then as she talked about where she went to school, she said that she went to the university and studied with the GSL professor I had just gotten an email from! WHAT ARE THE ODDS???!!! I believe that I am destined to go to Ghana and learn all I can about interpreting and interpreter education. Hopefully, I will be able to offer assistance there to the interpreting community and the Deaf community whom they serve.