DRAFT 2025 Dive In Cohort Members

Meet the members of the 2025 Dive In cohort who are novice interpreters building their professional development pathways.

Danika Avila (Olson)

close-up of a smiling woman with sandy brown hair

Danika Olson graduated from California State University, Fresno and lives in Clovis, California. She holds an EIPA score of 4.3 and has professionally interpreted for three years.

Holly Nelson

A white woman with short blond hair wearing orange shirt in the Utah desert

A white woman with short blond hair wearing orange shirt in the Utah desert

Holly Nelson is an instructional designer for the CATIE Center in addition to her role as an associate professor in the Educational Interpreting Program at the University of Arizona. Holly’s experience spans 25 years and includes ASL/English interpreting, teaching, mentoring, program development, and assessment. She has worked and taught in academic, community, government, and corporate settings. Holly has specialized in decision making/ethics, program review/development, experiential learning/mock interpreting, and test preparation. She has developed programs that focus on heritage learners of ASL, Deaf interpreters, internships in VRS settings, and the graduation to certification gap. She is also passionate about deliberate/reflective practice and expressing her creativity in her work. She maintains National Interpreter Certification at the master level, Utah Professional Certification, and EIPA. She has many creative interests, enjoys traveling, and spending time with her family. She lives with her wife in Tucson, Arizona.

Jenny Smith-Hastings

A white woman with long light red hair wears a grey sweater and smiles at the camera

A white woman with long light red hair wears a grey sweater and smiles at the camera

Jenny graduated from Gallaudet University with a BA degree in interpretation. Since 2017, she has worked as a program specialist for the CATIE Center at St. Catherine University supporting novice interpreters as they enter the field. Jenny enjoys playing in volleyball leagues and spending time with her 7 cats.