Open to opportunities

Sarah Francis

@sarahfrancis

Message

ASL subject matter expert and interpreter specializing in quality assurance.

United States

Message

What I'm looking for

I seek roles where I can apply ASL expertise to improve interpretation quality, mentor interpreters, and contribute to data-driven accessibility or AI initiatives in a collaborative, mission-driven organization.

I am an American Sign Language subject matter expert and professional interpreter with over ten years of experience delivering high-quality ASL–English interpretation across VRS, educational, medical, legal, and community settings. I have a strong record in quality assurance, performance evaluation, standards compliance, and interpreter training, consistently defining linguistic accuracy benchmarks and providing actionable corrective feedback to improve interpreter performance.

Currently pursuing an Associate of Science in AI Engineering with coursework in ethics, machine learning, and natural language processing, I bring an interdisciplinary focus to AI training and data quality initiatives involving signed languages. I also have extensive operational experience in scheduling, workforce coordination, and process improvement, and I mentor new interpreters to ensure consistency with FCC and organizational standards.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

VRS Local Mentor

Current

Purple

Mar 2021 - Present (4 years 10 months)

Deliver high-accuracy ASL–English interpretation on VRS platforms and mentor new interpreters, maintaining 80%+ active interpreting utilization and improving service quality through QA and corrective feedback aligned with FCC standards.

Quality Assurance FCC Documentation

Freelance Interpreter

Self-Employed

Aug 2014 - Jan 2022 (7 years 5 months)

Built and managed a diverse client base delivering high-stakes and emergency ASL–English interpretation, handling scheduling, billing, and coordination while organizing interpreters for professional development events.

Freelance Management Emergency Interpreting Scheduling Billing Client Relations Documentation

Staff Interpreter

De l’Epée Deaf Center

Aug 2018 - Feb 2021 (2 years 6 months)

Provided ASL–English interpretation across educational, medical, and community settings, managed contracts and scheduling, and led outreach to build partnerships while supporting Deaf students in subject-specific discourse.

Scheduling Contract Management Community Outreach Educational Interpreting Cultural Competence Stakeholder Engagement

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College

Associate of Science, AI Engineering

Currently pursuing an Associate of Science in AI Engineering with coursework in ethics, cybersecurity, machine learning, data-centric systems, and natural language processing.

University of North Florida

Master of Science, Interpreting

Completed a Master of Science in Interpreting (General Practitioner) with coursework in advanced interpreting concepts, mentoring, and deafblind and legal interpreting.

William Woods University

Bachelor of Science, ASL–English Interpreting

Awarded a Bachelor of Science in ASL–English Interpreting with coursework in linguistics, ASL literature, interpreting theory, and a 300-hour field practicum.

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College

Associate of Applied Science, Interpreter Training Technology

Completed an Associate of Applied Science in Interpreter Training Technology with extensive practicum experience (3,150 clock hours) and coursework in ASL, transliteration, and educational interpreting.