Before my attendance at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS), I struggled with identifying what career path I should follow after my time in the military. As a Foreign Language Translator for the US Navy by trade, the most appropriate path was to become a translator or interpreter in the civilian sector. After seeing many of my peers and subordinates go after Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in their respective languages, I wanted to do something similar but different. It wasn’t until I deployed to Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, and Singapore that I finally grasped what the next step up from translation was: localization. Translating from one language to another is a relatively simple pursuit, however taking that translation and moving it to the next step was exactly what I was looking for. The best example I can give regarding real-world application of localization is the popular convenience store 7-Eleven’s business model. In the United States, 7-Eleven has products specific to the busy person in that particular area. For example, 7-Eleven on mainland United States has food such as hot dogs, burgers, pizza, etc. whereas in Hawai’i, those store serve musubi, sushi, manapua, etc. Additionally, in Japan you are able to purchase fresh onigiri and use their instant ramen prep station. Localization is ensuring that something is not only translated in words, but also in culture. It was after my 3 year tour as a deploying Sailor on Navy surface vessels that I gained the confidence to apply for the Localization Program Management Master’s Program at MIIS. In just a few classes I have learned a multitude of skills that I know will make me the best leader, but also improve my translation skills in the long run. It took me a while to decide what I wanted to do after my military life, and I am happy to have MIIS be part of that journey.
