A New Direction: how UA Little Rock Grad Found her Calling in ASL Interpretation

When Shae Powell started at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, she believed she had her college journey mapped out. A biology major with a minor in American Sign Language (ASL), she planned to pursue a career in public health and never imagined that a language she had picked up for fun in middle school would end up changing everything.

Her hobby took on new meaning during her freshman year, when she realized that years of casually learning ASL had provided a foundation on which she wanted to build.

“I realized that my past several years of casually learning ASL had paid off because I was actually understanding what was being communicated to me,” said Powell. “It didn’t intimidate me, but, rather, invigorated me, and all I wanted to do was learn more!”

By the end of her freshman year, she switched her major to ASL Interpreting. That was only the beginning. Over the next few years, she learned more about the language and the Deaf community as she thought about her future.

As she became more involved in ASL, she found a community that shared her passion through Sigma Lambda Kappa, UA Little Rock’s Sign Language Club. Joining the organization pushed her outside her comfort zone and gave her opportunities to make new friends and collaborate with other students. What started as a way to meet people with similar interests turned into a leadership journey, as she became secretary and later president.

Her involvement with the ASL community also showed her what interpreting was like beyond the classroom. In her sophomore year, she volunteered with the Arkansas Deaf-Blind Community to help organize its annual Spaghetti Dinner. Working with her peers, she learned how to make activities accessible by changing games and choosing tactile prizes so everyone could join the fun.

“During my first meeting with the Deaf-Blind members, I was nervous, but they were so welcoming and valued our motivation to learn,” she said. “It felt like a safe space to make mistakes, learn, and grow.”

These experiences helped Powell realize that her interest in ASL could become a career. As she learned more about interpreting, she became fascinated by the challenge of switching between languages while sharing a speaker’s voice, tone, and expressions in real time.

“Interpreting is about much more than translating words. It’s about carrying the speaker’s voice and intent, all while balancing the pressures of real-time communication,” she said. “There are so many challenges to juggle at once, but in the end, it’s incredibly rewarding. There’s nothing else I’d rather be doing.”

Even though ASL became the focus of her studies and future plans, she thought it was important to experience other parts of campus life. Playing recreational soccer helped her enjoy a sport she loved as a child, and joining the art club gave her a creative outlet, plus another way to connect with students outside her major.

Making time for those interests became especially important as she learned how to balance the demands of college. She put significant pressure on herself to succeed, holding herself to unrealistic standards, but that drive also taught her the importance of knowing her own limits. After pushing herself to the point of burnout more than once, she learned that success also meant knowing when to step back and take care of herself.

Powell started to see success in a new way. She learned that asking for help, taking breaks, and making time for interests outside of school were not distractions from her education, but part of it.

“Knowing when and how to rely on and reach out to others is the most important part,” she said. “You can’t do it alone, no matter how tough you seem.”

She hopes new students will let themselves explore. Understanding firsthand what it’s like to arrive on campus feeling shy or unsure of where to fit in, she knows that waiting until she felt comfortable would have meant missing out on the experiences that shaped her the most. 

“Get involved, even if it’s uncomfortable at first,” she said. “Try a club, a sport, or an event that’s out of your comfort zone. You truly never know what that one experience will lead you to or who you could meet.”

She also encourages students to let themselves change. Her college experience turned out very different from what she expected as a freshman, and she believes being open to change helped her find a career and community she might not have otherwise.

“Even if it doesn’t go as expected, at least you can say you tried and now have a memory for the future and a story to tell,” she said.

The May graduate is now bringing what she learned at UA Little Rock into her next chapter, beginning an internship this fall with Arkansas Rehabilitation Services, where she’ll get hands-on experience and keep building her skills. She also plans to continue her work as a freelance interpreter and Support Service Provider for the Deaf-Blind community, work that helped turn a childhood interest into her future career.