16 Odober 16.

2008

Community-
minded individual
turns talent borne
of necessity into
career and business
by Dorkys Ramos
Plenty of people in Northern Manhattan
remember translating for their non-
English speaking parents, but how many
of them went on to make a career of it?
Vicente Villalba, owner of Vincent's
Simultaneous Interpreting, Translations
and Sound, for one, did. He remembers
interpreting for his mother whenever they
went to social services agencies when he
was II years old. In fact, social workers
would enlist his help to translate for
all those who had been there for hours
waiting for a Spanish-speaking social
worker to become available.
"Whenever my mother and I went
anywhere, whatever she needed, I would
be her translator," Villalba said. "And
that was something that I really enjoyed."
And thus, a love for being bicultural was
born.
Villalba, 44, began working with the
SecretsoftheirSuccess
Vicente Villalba
big companies charging roughly $80 an
hour per interpreter, Villalba could easily
charge $1,300 for a three-hour meeting.
But he's chosen not to - at least not for
his community. "I'd charge them $400
for that same meeting," said Villalba.
"The interpreting field is very important
to our community and it brings me pride
to be able to do this. It doesn't say much
for my pocket, but maybe one day."
And this desire to be seen as a
community resource is why he's decided
to do everything he can to lower prices
for community-based clients and others
'" who come into the community.
He doesn't charge for use of his
I equipment, knocks down the hourly rate
~ per interpreter and will even go so far as
to do events by himself if it means saving
his clients more money.
"For community events I charge 60-
to 70-percent off the regular price. I'm
in it for the satisfaction that the people
from my community are getting the
, information that they need."
Still, not everyone is happy with this
decision and has ruffied a few feathers
among close friends and family who feel
Villalba should stop giving quality work
away.
Especially if he plans to expand his
business, which he started in 2004. His
core team currently consists of four main
'~'; interpreters with four others he can call

Board of Education at the age of 19 as a
school aide interpreting for parents and
translating brochures, holding various
positions as time went on. "With every
title I held, my skills were always used
because people felt that I was very
bilingual and that I had very good
MotherCabl~ni High School
:\ I 1'l1lf1110J/or t'x(<'ii~'J/(t' sill(t' /1'9'<)...
Theeateway to your future...
OPEN HOUSE
Sunday, October 19,2008
I
" upon for bigger jobs.
_.- --.
Vicente VIllalbabegan working with the Board 01Education atthe 8Oeol19 asa school aide interpreting
forparentsandtranslatingbrochures.(photoLandaM.Towns)
command of both languages," he said. "It
was something I was proud of."
Ii'
\...£!)
Then in 2000, he came across an ad
that would lead him to what he called
"one of the most special experiences" of
his life. New York-Presbyterian Hospital
was searching for people interested
in joining their volunteer interpreter
program. The hospital provided free
training so volunteers could help the
community with much-needed translation
services for doctors and patients. It was
a job Villalba became infatuated with,
1:00 P.M. - 3:00 P.M. running over to the hospital every chance
he had. And as the ball kept rolling, so
Featuring Campus Tour, did the opportunities, with a job as a
He's also in the process of opening
a storefront in West Harlem as well as
- developing his registered non-profit
organization, Dynamics Multilingual
Community Services.
And with a contract with the National
Head Start Association that has Villalba
and his team flying around the country
for the organization's conferences, the
company seems ready to take off.
Overtheyears, Villalba has accumulated
an impressive list of clients including
City Council Members Robert Jackson
and Miguel Martinez, Assembly Member
Adriano Espaillat, Mayor Michael
Bloomberg and Manhattan Borough
President Scott Stringer.
Add to that his current full-time position
with Columbia Uuiversity's Office of
Government and Community Affairs -
serving as the liaison between the school
and the Northern Manhattan area - that

Presentations, Drum Corp simultaneous interpreter for Community
Board 12 meetings in 200 I.
Review, and Refreshments. And now that's what he specializes in.
TACHS # 208 Eighty percent of his company's business
-- is conference simultaneous interpreting,
which means interpreting as the presenter
speaks, never staying more than mere
seconds behind the speaker.
Unfortunately, many of the groups that
need these interpreting services, such as
non-profits and agencies, cannot afford
it, says Villalba. With sound equipment
going for at least $2,500 a system and
allows him to provide language services
to the university as well as oversee any
outside interpreters who come to the
school.
Villalba feels it's his deep desire to
help the people whom have enabled him
to be successful.
"You have to have a natural desire to
work and help people," he said. "That
has to be in the heart, and you have to
feel it to be really good. If you have that
everything else becomes easier."

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 October 16. 2008 17

r I1AIIETPLACE Join the market" Call 212-569-5800

LocalchildeaNprovider
honoredbyChannelJ3/WNET
Carmen Garcia, a chlldcare provider own group family day care since 2001
at the Northern Manhattan In Washington Heights.
I
Improvement Corporation's Happy Garcia was nominated by Anltta Rulz.
Faces Family Day Care Network. the director of Happy Faces Family
was honored as a finalist In Channel Day Care Newtwork. That program
I' 13/WNETOutstanding Child Care
Providers contest which features and
trains women in Northern Manhattan
to operate registered. home-
Vicente ViHalba IXXTI8fIZO
a /rabajar con /a Junta de EducaciOn a /a edad de 19 alios como ayudante esmIar episode of winning providers on the based family daycare businesses.
interpretando para padres y traduciendo foIlelos, leniendo varias posiciones mienlIas eIliempo pasaba. program "A Place of Our Own~ The program has trained over 200
According to a press release from residents, many of them former public

Secretos de sus exitos NMIC,though not the tlnalist

chosen for the program, Garcia and
five other providers were honored
assistance recipients. Those trainees
have gone on to create 540 much-
needed child care opportunities.
Vieent Villalba at a ceremony at the Providence For more Information about NMIC's
restaurant and lounge in the Theater prorgams call: 212-822-8332 or visit
Por Dorkys Ramos District as a 'Recognized Child Care http-J/www.nmlc.org.
"Usted tiene que ten- Provider." Garcia Is native to the
Dominican Republic and started her
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recuerdan habertraducidoparasuspadres
quenohablaban ingles,I.perocuantosdealios
pasarona hacerunacarreradeello?
de trabajar y ayudar
VicentVillalba,duellode'Vincenfs a las personas."
Simultaneous Interpreting, Tranlations and 'VIcenteVillalba - Free financial planning semina,
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espanolestuvieradisponible. 'Siemprequemi !osclientesconbasescomunales y olmsque Theseminarsruns both Sat. Oct.18 RSVPrequired.ContactF~thimaP.
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'Y esoeraalgoqueyo realmente disfrutaba'. promedio pot'harapot'interprete Yhastapodrla 135'"5t..7th floor.lunch and seminar Informationat:www.donaramerlcas.
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siemprefuaronutirrzadas porquelaspersonas estadecisiOn y haagitadoalgunasplumas +/- 1400 sq ft. In a non-
sentlanqueyoerabienbilingOe y quetenia entreamlgosC91canos y familiaquesienteque competitive. residential
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Entonces enel2Ooo,pot'casualidad Especlalmente si el planeaexpandir50 Partnership Northern thriving business.
encontr6unanuncioque10IIevariaa 10queeI negocIo, eIcualcomenz6 eneI2004.Su for Economic Manhattan growth potential all -
Uam6:'unadelasexperienclas masespeclales' nUcieodetrabajoactualmente consiste Development LDC Coalition for necessary equipment
Included.
desuvida.B HospitalNewYork-Presbyterian decuatrointerpretes prlncipales conolios (APED) Economic
cuatroquepuedelIamarparatrabajosm~ PRICEUPONREQUEST
estababuscando personasinteresadas en 513 W. 207 St Development
unirseasu programa deInterpretes voluntarios. grandes.B lambienestaeneIprocesode New York, NY 10034 (NMCED)
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serviciosdetraducci6n paradoctoresy Services'. Yconel contratoconIaAsociaci6n
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looking for work? Ifso,
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nmced@nyc.rr.com

FREEEducation
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The course provides General E!juivalency
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Counseling
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Desaforfunadamente, muchosdeIosgrupos enlaceentrela escuelay eJareadelNortede workshops Including: Resume Building retirement nest egg
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