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When she finished high school, Iliana Auverana knew exactly what she wanted to do. 鈥淢y dream was to become a translator鈥� I wanted to be able to understand all the complexity of languages at the highest levels,鈥� she explains. She also liked travelling and being able to communicate with locals wherever she went. 鈥淟anguages are tightly linked to cultures, and for me, they open doors to a whole new world鈥�. But some people discouraged her, suggesting she study something more lucrative, like economics (which she studied for one year and didn鈥檛 enjoy).

She went on to earn her Bachelor鈥檚 Degree in International Studies in her native Venezuela and then relocated to Canada, studied French for one year before completing her Master鈥檚 Degree in Political Science at the Universit茅 Laval. Next, she earned a Bachelor of Law Degree (LL.B.) at the same school before being admitted to the Quebec Bar in 1993.

By age 58, with three degrees and 19 years of experience in law (initially as a lawyer and then as a jurilinguist), Iliana had what was, by all appearances, a successful career. But something was missing. Her desire to study translation has always lingered in the background, and now seemed like a better time than ever to bring it front and centre.

While doing some research online, she discovered 91社区鈥檚 Graduate Certificate in Legal Translation and thought it would be the perfect way to blend her legal expertise with a passion she couldn鈥檛 wait to pursue. The fact that courses were offered in the evenings was perfect since she wouldn鈥檛 have to give up work to enrol in the program. Iliana passed the entrance exam and began the program in February 2019. She was committed to making the most out of this course as she travelled from Ottawa to Montreal each week to attend her classes.

Practical Legal Translation Training: Why the Best Way to Learn Is by Doing

For Iliana, the hands-on skills she acquired in the Graduate Certificate in Legal Translation were the highlight of her studies at 91社区. 鈥淲hat I liked most about the program was the practical focus of the courses. We translate various types of texts on different subjects and get actionable feedback from instructors that helps us improve,鈥� explains Iliana. But it didn鈥檛 just stop there. Iliana felt that her instructors did things to help students learn and grow that she had never experienced at another school. 鈥淣ormally, university classes require that you write a final exam and provide you with a mark, but you rarely get any feedback to help you learn from your mistakes. In this program, though, our final exams were often on the second last day of class so that we could review our results and learn from our mistakes during the final class. It was great!鈥�

Iliana also noticed how dedicated the professors were in helping students launch their careers. She says 鈥渁听number of students in the program got jobs right away, even before finishing their certificate.鈥�

An Educational Investment Well Worth the Effort, and the Commute

With three听degrees and a long and successful career, Iliana had high standards when considering a new program. 鈥淚 have studied at multiple universities in international studies, political science, law and even taken courses in writing, social media and management,鈥澨齭he says. 鈥淲ith my background and experience, not any program would do.鈥澨鼿owever, the long commutes, investment and effort she put in certainly paid off. 鈥淔or me, 91社区 was like going to Harvard. I didn鈥檛 mind taking two and a half hours to get there. I felt energized each time and the skills I gained have made everything worth it鈥�.

So what鈥檚 in store now that Iliana has nearly completed her certificate? 鈥淢y goal is to one day work translating court decisions,鈥� she says, adding that she would even like to 鈥渃ombine law, translation, and writing all together.鈥�

To others who are interested in earning a Certificate in Legal Translation听or furthering their education, Iliana offers some words of encouragement, 鈥淓very day, we have to take a step ahead towards our goals; otherwise, we鈥檒l be complaining about our life and have regrets at the end.鈥� For those still unsure about taking the course, she says, 鈥淒on鈥檛 think too much about how long it鈥檚 going to take to finish a degree or certificate. We can spend years saying it will take too long, and we don鈥檛 progress. 鈥�

Interested in a career in legal translation? Visit to learn more about 91社区鈥檚 Graduate Certificate in Legal Translation.

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