Congratulations to Laura Valeri, a Master’s in Translation and Interpreting (MSTI) recent graduate, for receiving the 2024 Excellence in Translation award! Recently we invited Laura to share what receiving the award meant to her and talk with Assistant Director of Programs Darius Phelps about her experience matriculating through the online degree program.
Community. Belonging. Innovation. These were the first words that came to the mind of Laura Valeri when asked how she could sum up her time in the MSTI program in just three words. Laura studied part-time while working full-time as an NYU Program Administrator at the SPS Center for Global Affairs. During our interview she began by telling me that she chose to pursue the program derived from having a great passion for languages and connecting. Most importantly, being a full time professional, she mentioned feeling “truly valued as a student” and how “welcoming and down to Earth the faculty are,” allowing her to feel that she could connect with them.
Ruminating on the course of study that she took, Laura reiterated that the classes challenged her to think outside the box and immerse in her creativity. One of her favorite courses focused on audiovisual translation and introduced her to various forms such as subtitling, voiceovers, and even dubbing. It's been fascinating to learn what really goes into the creation of the media we consume. Building off her courses and her prior academic background in law, Laura's final thesis was a translation of a regulatory text but in an unusual setting, as she translated regulations on the appellations for Italian wines. The project was a culmination of the studies and skills she accumulated while being a student and paid homage to her Italian culture, blending her two areas of expertise together.
After finishing the graduate program Laura stated that she has a much deeper appreciation now for those that work in the translation field and that the MSTI program does a great job at connecting faculty, staff, and students through various forms of engagement such as virtual webinars, speaker series, coffee chats, and much more! Reflecting on receiving the Excellence in Translation award, Laura confessed that the award serves as a confirmation of all the time, effort, and hard work put into her studies and has allowed her to recognize her own accomplishments. “This award gives confidence and encouragement for me to tackle this new phase of my life.”
Laura ended our conversation stating that the biggest takeaway during her time was" recognizing the value of my work. As I start my career as a translator, it's also very encouraging to see that you know the level of my work as I go out in the real world.”
Laura is a prime example of what it means to be inspired by those around you and foster a true space where all voices are heard. When I think of Laura and her work, the following quote from bell hooks comes to mind:
“The academy is not paradise. But learning is a place where paradise can be created. The classroom, with all its limitations, remains a location of possibility. In that field of possibility we have the opportunity to labor for freedom, to demand of ourselves and our comrades, an openness of mind and heart that allows us to face reality even as we collectively imagine ways to move beyond boundaries, to transgress. This is education as the practice of freedom” ( hooks, 1994, p.207).
On behalf of the NYU SPS Center for Publishing and Applied Liberal Arts, we are extremely proud of all that Laura has accomplished and look forward to what she achieves next.