About my career:
I obtained an MA in English and embarked on my second career after working 20+ years for a foreign government agency. With no employment history in the United States and nothing but my MA and foreign language skills to go on, my chances in the job market looked bleak. So I took the leap and opened my own business: Ruth Boggs Translation. That was in 1995, and I’ve been providing translation and interpreting services to a number of premier Washington D.C. law firms, as well as the U.S. Department of State, the German Embassy, and a number government agencies ever since. The first few years as a freelancer were rough, but after carving out a niche (patent and legal translation), it’s been smooth sailing. In my spare time (which is rare), I write creative non-fiction.
What I like about my job:
It gives me great flexibility. I spend about 65% of my work time in my home office, and the rest traveling. It's also exciting: I’ve worked on billion-dollar legal cases, I’ve interpreted at high-level political meetings, and I’ve traveled to places and have met people beyond my wildest expectations. The working title of my interpreting memoirs, if I ever decide to write them, is “From the White House to the Whorehouse” – because in the course of my professional interpreting, I’ve covered the whole spectrum!
My concentration at Mason:
I received a BA in The Writing Program (1991) and an MA in Professional Writing and Editing (1994).
How has what I learned at the Mason English Department helped my career?
English is not my first language. I acquired it on my own, when I was already well into my teens, and what I learned at Mason proved invaluable for providing a sound foundation and developing marketable skills. As a translator from German into English, I learned the technical writing skills needed to deliver a well-written and polished target document. Without the English language skills I learned at Mason, I would not have been able to pass the challenging certification test and become a certified translator.
Email: rutheboggs@gmail.com