18/09/2026
They say an interpreter’s career is a marathon. Or a journey, really—one filled with so many twists and turns that you honestly wonder how anyone is expected to navigate it all on their own (luckily, I was blissfully unaware of this when I started out!).
So taking part in the Cambridge Conference Interpretation Course was one of the best decisions I could make CPD-wise this year.
Though my usual working combination involves Polish, I am so glad I was actively invited by the wonderful and generous course directors to work between English and German. And I knew I could trust them blindly before I finally trusted myself!
It allowed me to benefit fully from the incredible, constructive feedback of our stellar mentors, trainers and world-class conference interpreters: Julia Poger - Business, Conference and Diplomatic Interpreter, Marie-Jeanne (MJ) Vanleynseele, Chris Guichot de Fortis, Alessandra Bonatti, Andrii Biesiedin, Bernd Saure, Eva Bodor, Bjørn Fossberg, Camille Collard, Claudia Ricci, Leire Carbonnell, and Marie Diur.
How refreshing it was to play around, release some hidden resources, and push our limits (both the physical and mental ones!) every single day in such a nurturing, inspirational environment. It’s a course so masterfully conceived that you can genuinely feel yourself adopting a growth mindset as the path gets steeper day by day—both as an interpreter and as a human being.
Beyond the training itself, I couldn't be more grateful for the chance to meet so many inspiring, talented friends and colleagues (or to see some of them again!): Aichatou Sy, Anna-Maria Pollmann, Carol Isoux, Cecilia Sabbatucci, Daouda Sanfo, Elena Ourjoumtseva, Elena Zinger, Joëlle Coussaert, Maimouna Hane, Maria Rodrigo Stinus - Conference Interpreter, Martina Zavelberg, Mounir Chicao, Oleksandra Guirlina, Olena Bykovets, Pim Duijvekam, Rongli LIU, Rossella Oliva, Sara Webster, Tamar Nepharidze, Teresa Elola-Calderón, Vadim Belenky, Violaine Tourny, Vitali Riedel, Wladimir Padilla Silva, Elise Ratinaud, Robin Ragan, Saskia Unterumsberger, Sylvia Leclerc. And special thanks to Clémence Degortes, and Sabrina Benallal, who, in addition to that, were our admin angels!!
Every format, exercise, and casual conversation turned out to be pure gold—in life, and in my recent booth assignments. Next time I have one of those "déjà-vu in the booth" moments, I’ll just smile and think very dearly of ALL of you. ✨
