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La Grange, IL —
Retirement is nothing more than a word for Joan Stopka.
While the 65-year-old La Grange Park resident retired from Lyons Township High School’s Spanish department in June 2010 after 33 years of teaching, it wasn’t the end of a long love of the language.
Rather, Stopka’s retirement was the opportunity for her to develop her passion.
“I think retirement is a different definition for different people,” she said. “I've always kept myself busy, and I wanted to use my language.”
Stopka remains immersed in the language she learned in her freshman year of high school, though her relationship with it has changed from instruction to practical application.
Last summer, Stopka began participating in a medical interpreting program through the Language Access Resource Center of the DuPage Federation on Human Services Reform. The program trains medical interpreters that will assist patients in hospitals by phone or in person.
Stopka learned some 500 new words in Spanish, most of them medical in nature, during the course of the class. She spent more than 100 hours in the classroom and getting practical experience through an internship at Cook County Hospital.
“I thought I knew a lot of vocabulary,” she said. “It was an immersion, for sure.”
She now interprets for patients and translates documents a few times a month.
The paying job, however, is not her main focus, she said.
Since September, Stopka has volunteered her time, using her gift of language to provide service to the Hispanic community.
Taller de José, or Joseph's Workshop, was founded in 2007 by the Sisters of St. Joseph, a Catholic women's organization. Based in Pilsen, Taller is a community resource center that connects people to vital services.
Stopka acts as a “compañera,” one who accompanies those in need, helping them receive the social services that they otherwise may not have known about or had difficulty attaining.
Her experiences at Taller have ranged from accompanying a visitor dealing with bankruptcy proceedings to the Dirkson Federal Building in Chicago to working with a woman whose jaw had been broken by her abusive boyfriend.
“I do feel emotionally drained when I get home,” Stopka said. “That's one of the things that startled me the most, how I've been isolated from this aspect of life. You forget until you see the faces of the people.”
Stopka grew up a child of Yugoslavian immigrants, speaking Croatian in the household. Her mother was limited in use of the English language.
Retirement is nothing more than a word for Joan Stopka.
While the 65-year-old La Grange Park resident retired from Lyons Township High School’s Spanish department in June 2010 after 33 years of teaching, it wasn’t the end of a long love of the language.
Rather, Stopka’s retirement was the opportunity for her to develop her passion.
“I think retirement is a different definition for different people,” she said. “I've always kept myself busy, and I wanted to use my language.”
Stopka remains immersed in the language she learned in her freshman year of high school, though her relationship with it has changed from instruction to practical application.
Last summer, Stopka began participating in a medical interpreting program through the Language Access Resource Center of the DuPage Federation on Human Services Reform. The program trains medical interpreters that will assist patients in hospitals by phone or in person.
Stopka learned some 500 new words in Spanish, most of them medical in nature, during the course of the class. She spent more than 100 hours in the classroom and getting practical experience through an internship at Cook County Hospital.
“I thought I knew a lot of vocabulary,” she said. “It was an immersion, for sure.”
She now interprets for patients and translates documents a few times a month.
The paying job, however, is not her main focus, she said.
Since September, Stopka has volunteered her time, using her gift of language to provide service to the Hispanic community.
Taller de José, or Joseph's Workshop, was founded in 2007 by the Sisters of St. Joseph, a Catholic women's organization. Based in Pilsen, Taller is a community resource center that connects people to vital services.
Stopka acts as a “compañera,” one who accompanies those in need, helping them receive the social services that they otherwise may not have known about or had difficulty attaining.
Her experiences at Taller have ranged from accompanying a visitor dealing with bankruptcy proceedings to the Dirkson Federal Building in Chicago to working with a woman whose jaw had been broken by her abusive boyfriend.
“I do feel emotionally drained when I get home,” Stopka said. “That's one of the things that startled me the most, how I've been isolated from this aspect of life. You forget until you see the faces of the people.”
Stopka grew up a child of Yugoslavian immigrants, speaking Croatian in the household. Her mother was limited in use of the English language.
It is this sympathy that drives Stopka to come to the aid of others — be it in the form of translation services or personal accompaniment during difficult and confusing times.
Though those ventures take up much of her time, Stopka still makes room for travel.
Quite the globetrotter — having visited Mexico, Spain, Peru, Brazil and Bolivia — Stopka plans on continuing going abroad while her and her husband’s health stay strong. Just last summer, the pair spent two weeks in Costa Rica and Panama, and currently are planning a September trip to Argentina.
She also maintains a connection to LT, going back for three weeks this past school year to substitute teach, as well as proctor Advanced Placement exams.
“I would drive past LT and tear up a bit,” she recounted of last summer. “Being back was good for me. I can’t stay away.”
