Makeba Orr Smith was a nationally certified interpreter, speech pathologist, and child of a Deaf adult (CODA). She had a bubbly personality and everyone in our field loved her. Makeba meant far more to me than just a colleague; she was the first person to be-friend me when I moved to Atlanta. Over the years, we became very close, she was one of my best friends. We talked on the phone every single day, sometimes multiple times per day, about everything, about our business, and about nothing. We kept up with each other’s work and life schedules, we saw each other on our teamed assignments every day—truly, we built a close, lasting bond.
Makeba was passionate about elevating more minority interpreters to nationally certified status. She was also motivated more than ever to improve her own skills. In fact, the very last conversation that I had with her, the night before she passed away, amongst the many topics we talked about, she sent me a video of her interpreting for an event that she wanted me to give her feedback on.
We started SOS Interpreting Solutions together in 2019, on a whim. We saw a service gap in the Atlanta area; our goal was to help an out-of-state agency fill their assignments so that the Deaf community would not have to go without interpreters in a crucial setting. Since that first project, we have reached more customers organically and by word of mouth, providing translating, interpreting, and CART services. The agency now works in both in-person and remote settings. I know she’d be so happy with how far we’ve come in serving the Deaf community.
Her excellence and passion for this work has continuously inspired me over the time we’ve been partners and friends. The dedication to expanding minority representation in our field is a noble cause, one that I want to continue. I have decided to honor her legacy by creating a scholarship that will mentor and fund minority interpreters to become nationally certified. The Makeba Orr Smith scholarship will be announced soon!
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