I was twenty years old when my journey of learning began. As a volunteer minister, I took a vow of poverty and served at the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society. Not only did I learn many of my life lessons there, but I also learned about working safely on a scaffold. A few years later,
I married Emily and started my painting business. I operated a business that became known as Atlantic Painting and Wallpaper. Because of my previous experience, safety was at the forefront of my business.
Eventually, I decided to make a drastic change in my life; I returned to school. After graduating from New York Beauty School, I began as an apprentice at Vidal Sassoon. Later, I became a stylist at Lappin Paoli Salon, now known as Lance Lappin. I loved the change! I thoroughly enjoyed the creativity and the social interaction hair styling provided me. Finally, I found what I would happily do for the rest of my life. Then September 11 happened, just a few blocks away from the salon.
The dust I inhaled that day revealed that I had a chronic lung disease called sarcoidosis. My pulmonologist told me that I needed to reinvent myself. For the sake of my lungs, she said I had to remove myself from the salon environment. I was in a crisis, a crossroad once again.
I now had to rediscover what I would do as a profession once again. To safeguard my health, I relocated to South Carolina and incorporated an interpreting and translation business. In time, I began to take courses and study to become a medical interpreter. Then, I became a CCHI nationally certified healthcare interpreter.
After the Recession in 2009, my company received requests to interpret for safety classes. This was familiar to me because of my previous work experience. It lay dormant in my heart. Thereafter, I realized there was an opportunity for me to provide bilingual safety training. I attended Georgia Tech courses that led me to become an OSHA® Authorized Outreach Trainer. I also took advantage of course offerings at Greenville Tech. This led me to expand my company’s offerings to safety consulting and training. Additionally, our recent name change better reflects the link between safety and language that my company provides. Last year, I enrolled at Columbia Southern University. The goal: obtain my degree in Occupational Safety and Health. My thirst is never quenched. Learning is a way of life, as is re-invention. Everything has come full circle; all my past knowledge has influenced who I am and what I do now. My hope is that this creates a positive encounter for my customers.
