My Experience at ATA66 in Boston

Photo credit: ATA

Molly Yurick*

I'm Molly Yurick, and I'm a Spanish-to-English subtitler, translator, transcriber, and proud ATISDA and ATA member. This October, I attended and spoke at the American Translators Association's 66th Annual Conference in Boston, Massachusetts. I’d like to share my conference experience with all of you.

I arrived in Boston a day early, giving myself time to explore the city before the conference began. A walking tour took me and another ATISDA member, Marta Nieto Pensado, through the city's historic streets, and we capped off the tour with a wonderful meal (featuring lobster ravioli) in the North End.

ATA66 buzzed with excitement at the welcome reception on October 22. The conference drew language professionals from across the country and world, and Boston provided the perfect backdrop for four days of learning, connecting, and growing.

Speaking on Freelance Freedom

This year, I had the opportunity to present a one-hour session titled "Freelance Freedom: Shift Your Mindset, Manage Risk, and Market Smart." I structured the session around a transformation I experienced in my own business: The shift from feeling small in such a vast industry to operating with a business-oriented mindset.

I used to act small because I felt small as a freelance translator. Some life experiences changed that perspective, and I started acting bigger and operating my business very differently. My presentation offered practical strategies for strengthening long-term stability and shared a straightforward email marketing approach that helps language-industry freelancers stay visible and top-of-mind with both new and existing clients.

The response energized me. Attendees asked thoughtful questions and many approached me afterward to continue the conversation. Those follow-up discussions became some of the most valuable parts of my conference experience.

Learning from Fellow Professionals

As much as I enjoyed presenting, I equally valued attending sessions as a learner. My favorite was Flora Thomson-DeVeaux's "Stamping Brazilian Cinema's Passport: Notes from a Decade of Subtitles."

Flora has subtitled numerous Brazilian films, from Eduardo Coutinho's Songs to Walter Salles' Oscar-winning I'm Still Here. Her presentation examined how she conveys rich cultural context (popular music, football culture, the history of Brazil's last dictatorship) in subtitles that flash by in the blink of an eye. No footnotes. No safety net. Just precise, culturally-informed translation decisions made under strict constraints.

The session resonated deeply with my own subtitling work, and I took away some new ideas on how to deal with tough translations in subtitling. Flora's insights into navigating cultural specificity while working within technical limitations reminded me why I love this specialization.

Receiving the Mentoring Award

ATA and the American Foundation for Translation and Interpretation (AFTI) present annual and biennial awards to encourage, reward, and publicize outstanding work done by both seasoned professionals and students of our craft. This year's recipients were announced at the Annual Awards Presentation at ATA66.

I received the Mentoring Award at the ceremony. The recognition was a huge honor for me, especially because I’ve always said I wouldn't have made it through the freelancing trenches without my own mentors. My ATA mentor, Percy Balemans, helped me prep for my very first ATA conference in 2015, and my Audiovisual Division mentor, Mara Campbell, guided me into subtitling when the pandemic upended my tourism translation business. And that’s not to mention all the other informal mentors I’ve had while growing in this career. It’s amazing how you can get the generous help and support from more experienced colleagues when you simply ask for it.

When I was first asked to serve as a mentor, I wondered if I had much to give. But once you get me to talk about my job, it turns out I do have plenty to say, and more experience to share than I would’ve thought. And I have to say, I’ve learned as much from my mentees as I hope they have from me. I’m extremely honored to have won this award.

Reflection

Attending ATA’s annual conference always reminds me how much I love our professional community and my career. If you haven’t attended an ATA conference yet, next year could be a great opportunity, as ATA67 will be held on the west coast, in San Francisco, from October 28-October 31, 2026.

If you want to get a feel of what the conference is like, I recommend watching the official ATA66 conference wrap-up video, which captured perspectives from various attendees about their experience.

Bio:

Molly Yurick is a Spanish-to-English translator, subtitler, and transcriber living in San Diego. She has subtitled numerous titles for Netflix, Disney, and Amazon, including fan-favorites like Money Heist and Berlin. www.yuricktranslations.com