South has a large and diverse community that creates many unique opportunities for its students, Christine Anderson, Liaison’s Instructional Supervisor , said. However, language barriers can prevent students from feeling a part of the community and fulfilling daily activities, Anderson said. To aid this, language liaisons were added to the Multilingual Department to help students and families succeed at South, Anderson explained. South has four language liaisons who aid Spanish, Korean, and Mongolian speaking students within South: Ana Pereira, Ismael de la Luz, Jennifer Lee, and Nara Banzragch. The liaison’s have three main areas where their translation skills prove most helpful: large-scale events, document translation, and communicating special services that we deliver to students, Anderson said.

“[For] large-scale events where we need simultaneous interpretation, [those who need translation] can have headsets with translations,” Anderson said.

“We also have document translation [for] school communication to make sure parents are able to [understand].”

South’s liaisons work in the Student Services Department, English Department, Special Education Department, and Dean’s Office, Pereira said. The program began in 2003, the same year Pereira joined South. Considering multilingual students now make up one-third of the student body, liaisons are a growing help to the community, Anderson explained.

“The liaisons are the connection points for families, students, and staff to make sure that we [are] building the bridges that are necessary to be successful at South,” Anderson said.

For the past 20 years, Pereira has served as South’s Spanish liaison. Liaison’s relationships and interactions with students are very important, she explained.

“This program helps immensely because the people feel comfortable coming to you [and] we want them to be part [of] the school community,” Pereira said.

Luz has been assisting as a Spanish liaison alongside Pereira for the past year. The liaison’s services proved especially helpful when schedules were made for the upcoming school year, Luz explained.

“Not a [lot of] parents are aware of the many opportunities that students have here [at South,]” Luz said.

Lee, the Korean liaison, has been working at South for two years. Because some families at South are in the U.S. for the first time, difficulties arise, so they are particularly grateful for the liaison’s aid, she explained. Being able to help new students has been a happy experience for her and the students, she said.

“I am grateful that I could be a part of their journey and help support them,” Lee said.