Volunteer Profile: Tara Al-Hadithy

I have volunteered with The Stories of Us project as a…
Translator / Verifier

Tell us a bit about yourself. (Feel free to speak to your personal and professional background and experiences, as well as your hobbies and interests)
I am an associate professor of Linguistics and Translation. I came from the Middle East to Canada with more than 12 years of professional tertiary level teaching experience. I specialize in teaching English for Academic Purposes, Technical Communication, Research and Report Writing, Translation and Linguistics. Drawing, painting, and translation are some of my favourite hobbies. I am interested in projects that help make this world a better place.

Why did you want to get involved with The Stories of Us project?
Translation is a hobby of mine ever since I was a teenager. I used to always compare between original literature/movies/music lyrics, etc and the translation given. I was fascinated at times by the excellent transference of meaning, form, and function; and yet burst into laughter many times by the absurdities of poor translations. I wanted to get involved because I enjoy the art of translation and believe in its power to help people connect and understand each other more and that is what The Stories of Us project is all about.

How would you describe your experience as a volunteer with The Stories of Us to a friend?
As an immigrant to Canada, I faced a number of challenges that remain unexpressed. When translating the stories of other immigrants, I am humbled by their courage and endurance to make their journey to Canada a success story for their families. I am also filled with hope that my immigration story will end in success too just as theirs did. I enjoyed my experience as a volunteer with The Stories of Us because it allowed me to help other immigrants communicate how to be defiant in the face of all hurdles and struggles for the sake of giving their families a better life and a more prosperous future.

How do you imagine Canada in 50 years from now? (This is a question that guides our work, and we would love to know and try to incorporate your vision into our work as well.)
I imagine a Canada that is more inclusive, less discriminating, and more empowering of immigrants. I imagine a Canada were newcomers are crystal clear about the challenges and what steps to take to overcome them.