MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA, USA, November 9, 2020. Women in Localization (W.L.), the leading professional organization for women in the localization industry, is delighted to announce the launch of a new Chapter at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS) in Monterey, CA. This will be W.L.’s twenty-eighth (28th) chapter.
The MIIS chapter is unique in that it is the organization’s first student-run and student-led chapter. Leading the MIIS (WLMIIS) chapter is Chapter Manager Elizabeth Hawkes. She is joined by Events Managers Jamie Chu and Jacqueline Xu and Social Media Manager Autumn Smith.
“It is difficult for many students to get access to and connect with industry professionals due to transportation challenges from Monterey to the Bay Area, where most of the events tend to be,” said chapter Social Media Manager Autumn Smith. “This student chapter aims to close this gap and make professional development and industry knowledge events more accessible to all interested students at the Middlebury Institute.”
W.L. co-founder and MIIS faculty member Eva Klaudinyova played a key role in establishing this groundbreaking chapter.
“Between 2014 and 2016, I was lucky enough to lead the international expansion of Women in Localization and open our first chapters in Europe, Asia and across the US. This year, I am excited to assist with another first for our organization – the opening of our very first student-led chapter in Monterey,” said Eva Klaudinyova. “Not only is MIIS my current employer, but it is also my alma mater. It is an honor to bring together two organizations so close to my heart and combine our missions into one. I am very thankful to W.L.’s Geo Expansion team and all the students on the W.L. MIIS chapter team for leading this initiative and becoming a model for future student-led chapters all around the world!”
Register to become a W.L. member and save your seat for the chapter’s inaugural event, “Loc Women in Conversation: A Virtual Panel” which will be held Tuesday, November 17 at 12:00 p.m. PT. The online event features an introduction to chapter leadership and plans for upcoming events by Chapter Manager Elizabeth Hawkes. Events Manager Jamie Chu will moderate a panel discussion with industry insiders Michele Carlson, W.L. Global Expansion Director, Asia Mleczak from Mana Effect and Mimi Moore from SDL to examine different aspects of the localization industry, followed by virtual networking sessions.
“While the W.L. MIIS chapter is a student chapter at an educational institution, our membership is not restricted to students only,” said Chapter Manager Elizabeth Hawkes. “We invite MIIS alumni and language professionals in the Monterey area to join us as members.”
“The outpouring of interest and enthusiasm that we’ve had from Translation and Localization Management students here at MIIS has been incredible,” said Chapter Manager Elizabeth Hawkes. “As the first student chapter of Women in Localization, this is an amazing opportunity and we are thrilled to be a part of the incredible global Women in Localization community. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for us!”
The chapter can also be found on Twitter and LinkedIn.
About Women in Localization
Women in Localization (W.L.) was founded in 2008 by Silvia Avary-Silveira, Eva Klaudinyova and Anna N. Schlegel, and is the leading professional organization for women in the localization industry with over 5,000 members globally. Its mission is to foster a global community for the advancement of women and the localization industry. It aims to provide an open, collaborative forum where women can share expertise and experience and help each other move forward in their careers. Started in the San Francisco Bay Area, W.L. has expanded its membership to include women across the globe, encouraging members to meet in other local geographies.
To learn more, visit www.womeninlocalization.com. You can also follow W.L. on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.