TANYA HELMEN

SECURITY CLEARANCE: TOP SECRET/ SCI WITH FULL-SCOPE POLYGRAPH

SUMMARY
Ten years as a Professional Interpreter/Translator with formal and informal education in the Italian language and Culture, Chinese Language and Culture, French Language and Culture. Three years of experience living and working in education and tourism in Rome, Siena, Venice, Verona, Florence, Mondello, and Padua, Italy. Six years military and civilian experience in Signals Intelligence Language Analysis, Graphic Document Exploitation, Human Intelligence, Counter Intelligence and Proofreading/Quality Control. Bachelor of Arts, Italian Studies. Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Education
Advanced Italian Certificate, University for Foreigners, Siena, Italy, July 1995
B.A., Italian Studies, BardCollege, 1996
Senior Project: Literary Translation from Italian to English of Elsa Morante’s Menzogna e Sortilegio (Lies and Incantations)
Airman LeadershipTraining Course, Mar 2004
Cryptologic Linguist Training, Goodfellow AF Base, San Angelo, TX, May 2002
Basic Chinese Program, Defense Language Institute, Monterey, CA, May 2001
Chinese Intensive Course, JointLanguageCenter, Fort Meade, MD, Dec 2002
Chinese Intensive Course, JointLanguageCenter, Fort Meade, MD, Dec 2003
Experience
2004-Present SMConsulting
▪ Provide timely translations of Chinese and Italian technical documents
Conduct internet searches for quality assurance of documents
▪ Perform Proofreading/Quality Control checks on documents.
Create and maintain databases for new vocabulary
Cooperate with a team of linguists to ensure a harmonious workspace and to deliver the best possible product to the customer
2002-2004 National Security Agency/US Air Force
Counter-Narcotics Team
Learned obscure dialect in three months with no formal instruction
Fulfilled duties equivalent to Senior Language Project Manager during a period of austere manning.
Trained and mentored new section personnel
Scanned, identified, and transcribed foreign language data by geographic area assigned and categorized voice signals and graphic files by type of activity
Synchronized with division target analysts, providing translation and aiding analysis
Served as point of contact between three different sections after only three months of on-the-job experience
Performed content analysis of foreign language voice to determine significance and handling priority
2001-2002 Defense Language Institute/US Air Force
▪ Selected by Professors at DLI to serve as a volunteer language teaching assistant to the Chinese Department while awaiting orders
1996-1999Independent Contractor
On Site Coordinator for Trinity College Elderhostel at programs in Rome, Siena, Sicily, Verona, and Venice, Italy
▪ Provided impromptu Italian to English and English to Italian interpreting
Coordinated educational tourism programs consisting of groups of approximately forty participants for Trinity College Elderhostel
Fostered professional relationships between the main office and the on-site Hotel Staff, Guest Speakers, Local Tour Guides and area Restaurateurs
Guided formal and in-formal discussions on “Italian Culture and Society” for Tour Clients
Developed and taught beginning level Italian classes for Tour Clients
Foreign Language Teacher and Interpreter/Translator
Taught“Italian for Beginners” for the Berlin, Connecticut Adult Education Program
Designed and implemented curriculum for classes aimed at teaching English as a foreign language to professional clients of all ages in groups ranging from 1-30 people for the IntercoopLanguageSchool in Rome, Italy
Translated medical documents from Italian to English in Rome, Italy
awards
2004 John Levitow Award for Leadership and Scholarship- Awarded to 2004 Airman Leadership School Graduate demonstrating highest level of Professionalism, Leadership and Academic Performance
2001 Commandant’s Award- Awarded to graduate of DLIFLC demonstrating highest level of Academic Performance, Professionalism, Leadership, andcommunity Service
2000 BMT Honor Graduate- Awarded to USAF Basic Training Graduate with highest level of Academic, Leadership and Athletic Performance
1995 Jack Kelly Fair Play Award- Awarded by United States Olympic Committee for Athletes demonstrating an extraordinary display of Sportsmanship and Fairplay

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