Part of the mission of our office is to ensure that students with disabilities have equal access to all university programs and activities. Interpreter services are provided to give students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing the same opportunity to realize their academic potential.
Rosemary Linan Landa, a Rio Grande Valley native, is a CODA (Child of Deaf Adult) with formal training. Growing up in the Deaf Community and having a father who is Deaf and a mother who is a Sign Language Interpreter it only seemed natural to Rose to give back to the community and pursue a career within the field of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services.
Rose graduated from San Antonio College with a degree in American Sign Language Interpreting and has been certified with DHHS – BEI (Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services – Board of Evaluation of Interpreters) since 2002 currently holding a Level III Certificate. Prior to becoming a part of UTB/TSC, she gained experience working as a caseworker at the Southwest Center for the Hearing Impaired in San Antonio, TX and as a Freelance Interpreter covering the San Antonio, Corpus Christi, and Rio Grande Valley regions.
Currently, Rose is the Interpreter Coordinator for Disability Services, works part-time as a Video Relay Interpreter for Sorenson Communications, and is a member of Rio Grande Valley Interpreters for the Deaf. With every step she works hard to promote Deaf Awareness and ensure equal access.
Julie Armendariz received her degree from the American Sign Language and Interpreter Training Department at San Antonio College. She was hired on as a Staff Interpreter and remained at SAC for two more years. In 2005, she was hired on as a part-time staff interpreter at UTB/TSC. The following year, she accepted a position as a full-time Staff Interpreter with Disability Services at the university. She currently holds a Level II certification with DHHS-BEI and resides in Harlingen with her husband and son.
Patricia Palomino is a west Texas native who began her professional interpreting career in the El Paso Independent school district. She worked in the school system for five years before moving on to working as a Vocational Communication Specialist (VCS) at the El Paso Center for the Deaf.
In 1993, Patricia’s family made a move to the Rio Grande Valley. For eleven years after her move she worked as a freelance interpreter. In 2005 Patricia brought all of her years of experience to the University of Texas at Brownsville/Texas Southmost College. Currently, she holds a level I certification with DHHS-BEI.