We established a CORE Chapter in Jacksonville, Florida and we had Kickoff for our first Cycle in July 2019 with an incredible group of interpreters. We are always looking for more Mentors for this Chapter. If you are interested in joining us in Jacksonville, Florida, please email us at coreinterpretersfl@gmail.com.
TOTAL PRO BONO HOURS clocked since estd: 270
COACHES
dAWN WESSLING
Dawn M. Wessling, M. Ed., NIC Master has been working as a signed language interpreter for over 25 years and has been teaching interpreting and related topics in academic and workshop settings for 20+ years. She has worked as an interpreter in the community, in non-profit organizations, in K-12 settings, in VRS and in higher education in Virginia, Florida, Michigan, and Oklahoma. She learned American Sign Language from the Deaf community while she was on active duty in the United States Navy and continues to have strong ties to the community. She serves as an instructor and the staff interpreter for the College of Education and Human Services. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from the University of Maryland, University College, Europe in 2006 where she graduated summa cum laude. Ms. Wessling is an outstanding graduate of the University of North Florida with a Master of Education with a concentration in ASL/English Interpreting (Class of 2012). Her research interests include cognition in natural ASL discourse versus interpreted discourse, interpreted emotional utterances, spoken English accent, and language policy in interpreter education. She has published studies and presented on research regarding language modality in interpreter education, video relay service interpreting, international study abroad, and language shaming in interpreter education in the US and Europe. She is a Presidential scholar and doctoral candidate at Gallaudet University currently in her dissertation proposal phase. She serves on several committees within her university and is the chairperson of the FSCJ Sign Language Interpreting Program Advisory committee. She is a member of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, the Conference of Interpreter Trainers, and the National Association of the Deaf. She is a veteran of the United States Navy, the wife of a retired sailor, and a native of New Jersey. Her hobbies include cooking, creative arts, and reading Stephen King works.
shawn Norris
Shawn Norris, NIC, Ed: K-12, currently works at Flagler Hospital located in St. Augustine, Florida as an ASL Interpreter, Patient Liaison, and Interpreter Coordinator. Due to being raised by Deaf parents, Shawn has close ties to the local Deaf community and has been serving as an advocate and volunteer. Shawn has been working in the interpreting field for over a decade, serving as an interpreter and manager for several companies and government agencies, such as FEMA and DHS. In the past, he established a local agency that provided interpreting services in ASL and Spanish which he later merged with a large national agency that created an office in Jacksonville. In addition to his extensive interpreting experience, Shawn is a long-time public speaker and has worked on several translation projects for a free Bible education work for the Deaf.
AMY L RYALS
Amy L Ryals, BA, DI is a native of Jacksonville, Florida. She was born profoundly Deaf bilaterally and the cause unknown. She graduated from Flagler College in St. Augustine with dual degrees, Bachelors of Deaf Education and Elementary Education. After graduating, she moved to Miami for an opportunity to teach diverse Deaf students in a public high school. During this period, she spent her free time advocating, teaching, guiding, and working with interpreters. She interpreted pro bono as well. After ten years in Miami, Jacksonville called her home in 2013. For a short time, she continued interpreting, providing support services, and teaching DeafBlind people how to utilize technology to communicate. In 2016, University of North Florida offered her an amazing opportunity as a contract Deaf Interpreter. From there, she has received many opportunities to work professionally as a Deaf Interpreter and to utilize ProTacile and Tactile American Sign Language (TASL) with the DeafBlind community. She has traveled all over Florida and South Georgia providing services. Her hobbies include ATV riding, exploring nature, kayaking, cooking, and movies.
dEBBIE SPIKER
Debbie Spiker, M.Ed., CI/CT, SC:L, began her career as an educational interpreter in Northeast Arkansas in the mid 1980’s. She was introduced to ASL through the Deaf community and was taught the language by the Deaf community working as the only freelance interpreter in the northern part of Arkansas. She later earned her Associates of Arts degree and then her Bachelors of Arts degree in ASL-English from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Once completing her AA degree she was awarded her Certificate of Interpretation. Several years later, once completing her BA, she earned her Certificate of Transliteration from the Registry of Interpreters from the Deaf. Debbie and her husband relocated to Northeast Florida in 2004 where she worked as a freelance interpreter. She later was hired to open the first Sorensen VRS center in Jacksonville. The call center eventually grew to over 90 interpreters. Debbie earned her Master’s degree in Education from the University of North Florida and at the same time passed her Special Certificate Legal from RID. She is currently the Director of the Office of Interpreting Services for Baptist Health System where she oversees the hiring and training of both spoken language and sign language interpreters. When Debbie is not interpreting or managing the interpreting department at the hospital, she is busy running ½ marathons, quilting and spending time with her husband of 39 years.
support crew
STEPHANIE MONROE
Stephanie Monroe NIC, M.Ed., graduated from Tennessee Temple University in 2003 with a dual degrees in elementary education and sign language interpreting, and in 2014 with a Masters degree in Interpreting Pedagogy. Stephanie has been a community and freelance interpreter in the Jacksonville area since 2003, and became RID certified in 2008. Stephanie is also the current Interpreter Manager at the Independent Living Resource Center in Jacksonville, FL. When Stephanie is not interpreting in the field, you can find her spending time and traveling with her husband and her 3 children, Asa, Elijah, and Ayva. Stephanie is so thrilled to run the CORE Florida Chapter and is so excited for future Cycles with CORE FL.
Molly Mathis
Molly Mathis, NIC, earned ITP degree from Cincinnati State in 2006 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Molly relocated to Jacksonville, FL in 2020. Molly has interpreted for a variety of settings as a freelance interpreter as well as staff educational PreK-postsecondary, staff medical interpreter at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, and VRS. Molly has been active in mentoring interpreters since 2009 in each of the interpreting settings. Molly joined CORE as a mentor during Cycle 3 in Jacksonville to expand her mentoring experience. She has a passion for mental health and addiction recovery interpreting as well as advocating for equal access to information. Molly is currently working as VRS and freelance interpreter in Florida while getting to know the community she works with in Jacksonville. Aside from interpreting Molly enjoys traveling, spending time with her family and beach time.
ALLI JORDAN
Allison Jordan NIC, M.S. has been working as a professional sign language interpreter for the past 8 years. She received a B.S. degree in Sign Language Interpreting from Siena Heights University in 2015 and her M.S. degree from the University of North Florida in ASL/English interpreting in 2018. She completed the interpreter training program over at Florida State College at Jacksonville in 2012 and has been interpreting in the community since. Over these years she has interpreted in a variety of settings, and currently is a full time freelance community interpreter. In addition to interpreting, Allison’s interests include traveling, food, and CrossFit.
BROOKE JENSEN
Brooke Jensen, M.S., NIC, has been a community ASL interpreter for over 10 years. In 2018, she graduated with her Master’s in ASL/English Interpreting from the University of North Florida. She invests her time in mentoring local interpreters and interpreting students. Since graduating, she has taken a staff position with the Center for Independent Living – Jacksonville (CIL Jacksonville), where she researches community needs and provides educational opportunities to interpreters and Deaf community members. While honing her interpreting craft, Brooke has acquired specialized training in the areas of DeafBlind - Protactile interpretation, as well as, complex arenas including the STEM, medical, and legal fields. With a strong educational and experiential foundation, Brooke is able to keenly break down linguistic complexities to support interpreters’ practice and elevate the services they render to our Deaf communities.
Lisa brown
Lisa L. Brown is an alumnus of CORE FL Cycle 1, and she is excited to serve as the current Mentee Liaison. A graduate from Carolina University in 2019 with a BS in Deaf Studies with a concentration in Interpreting. She moved to Florida in 2018 and is currently working as an educational interpreter with the goal of becoming nationally certified. In her leisure time she enjoys walks on the beach with her husband and fur babies and she also enjoys playing board games with friends.
teddy regis
Teddy Regis graduated from Flagler College with dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in English and Public Relations.
Though he has had deaf people in his life since age four, it was not until his 24th year that a pivotal moment came. It was then that he became deeply immersed in the deaf community via a volunteer ASL ministry assignment. During his nine years in the field, he felt as though the deaf community “raised him.” The enriching experience eventually led him to enter the interpreting profession in 2015. Teddy’s first love is educational interpreting, which has comprised the bulk of his work. He now primarily works at the college level with deaf students and faculty.
Teddy joined CORE Cycle 3 as a Mentee in 2022 and then Support Crew as the Social Media Manager in 2023. The program gave him the confidence to at last take his NIC Performance in autumn 2022. The CORE mentorship has been a fitting way for Teddy to benefit from and contribute to his profession’s ongoing need for a supportive network.
jillian ayers
Jillian graduated from Flagler College in 2008 with a major in Deaf Education. She worked at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind for two years, teaching elementary. Jillian graduated from The Florida State College of Jacksonville in 2016 with a degree in Interpreting. Upon graduation, she became an educational interpreter. After completing Cycle 1 as a Mentee with CORE FL, Jillian volunteered to join the CORE FL Support Crew.
