Our members are the cornerstones of our organization, however, the desire to fulfill their dreams, the willingness to have a self-sacrificing spirit, and the will to impact the lives of those whom they interact with is often overlooked by us all.

For this reason, NAOBI-MCC has chosen to profile some of our extraordinary and inspiring members who refused to yield against the odds. We hope that you, after reading about their lives, leave knowing that anything is possible if we put our mind to it.

What do Mao Tse-Tung and J. Edgar Hoover have in common? Benjamin Franklin and Karl Marx? Or President Bush's wife, Laura? They were all librarians at one time in their lives. And while they all went on to leave their mark in history, in our opinion they cannot rival our own lending librarian, Bequeta Christian.

Perhaps no one exemplifies humility as well as Bequeta does. Her humble roots can be traced back to a close-knit neighborhood in Chicago called Englewood. Some of her fondest memories have her playing outdoor children games, such as "Red Light," "Captain May I"and "Rock Teacher" with her siblings, particularly her older brother.

Bequeta lives by her motto: "Do the best you can with whatever you have." And while she may not have grown up with the monetary resources that her contemporaries had, she was rich in heart and spirit. She credits her maternal grandparents for making her "feel as though [she] were the most important person in the world."

Until they become parents themselves, seldom do people appreciate the importance of growing up with values, and Bequeta was no exception. She describes her parents as being strict, yet their discipline was always balanced with love. They instilled into Bequeta the value of education, and the importance of excelling in reading. This has resulted in Bequeta being the avid reader she is today. When asked to name her favorite authors, "John Grisham, Mary Higgins Clark and Sidney Shelton" were at the top of her list.

Bequeta speaks fondly of her mother, whom she describes as "a strong no nonsense woman who tried very hard to keep peace in our home" and to "boost our self esteem." In addition, both of Bequeta's parents inculcated into her a desire for spirituality. While growing up, her entire family was never missing from the Kingdom Hall, the meeting place of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Bequeta works for the Chicago Public Schools. As an educational interpreter, Bequeta has seen firsthand the lack of discipline most children manifest and the negative impact it has on society at large. For most of us, it's not until we have our own children do we appreciate the value of discipline. With this knowledge in tow, Bequeta and her husband of twenty-three years, Jonathan, are rearing their son Jeremy with the same principles they both grew up with. "I am really proud of my son" she asserts, "In spite of me he seems to be on the right track," a claim most parents cannot make. "Sometimes I listen to him and watch him and I say, 'That's my son!'"

How did she come to learn sign language and eventually become an interpreter? Her first exposure was in the late 80s when she decided to take a sign language class with a friend. "Falling in love with the language" compelled her to seek out classes wherever they were to be found. And since, at that time, she has been a Bible educator for more than 20 years, it was natural that she would also incorporate her new founded language into her ministry. She now had two "passions in life" -sign language and the ministry.

Appreciating that no one achieves success without the aid of others, Bequeta gives kudos to those organizations and individuals that have had an affect on her life. Organizations such ITOC and later NAOBI, introduced her to the profession of interpreting. "Walter Mathews," says Bequeta "was my mentor. He was so patient and encouraging. Under his mentorship coupled with encouragement from all of my fellow NAOBIans, I was able to get an acceptable ISAS level."

Bequeta did not stop there; she sought help from Arlinel Weddington, who also become one of her successive mentors. Hard work, in tandem with the desire to become a certified interpreter, motivated Bequeta to fulfill her dream of passing the RID test. She says, "I cannot say enough about [Arlinel's] selfless diligence. She really told me and showed me what I had to do to improve my skills. I think about her every time I make a deposit into my business checking account."

She credits other individuals such as Laverne Word, whose mantra was "no negative talk!" And there was Vera Washington, who helped her to see the "big picture." Early teachers such as Carol Acox, and particularly Darlene Washington, whom she describes as being such "a good role model" And finally, Leandra Williams, who is, as Bequeta contends, "probably unaware of the role she played in my interpreting career." "Leandra" she continues, "always provided us with the latest updates about what is going on in the interpreting field…I appreciated her candor." Fellow colleagues in the educational interpreter field, such as Treneen Malone and Patricia McFadden, have too been instrumental in her success. Humility, one of her outstanding qualities, has not failed her in her acknowledgement of those who have paved the way for her to advance.

In June of 2004, Bequeta was awarded the Certificate of Transliteration (CT) from RID, and earned her Bachelors of Education (B.Ed; TESOL). And she is still striving to move ahead with other endeavors. "With so many technological changes in the interpreting field" she states, "I am anxious to become more involved."

When asked:"When people look back at your life, how do you want to be remembered?" she replied, "I want to be remembered as someone that was known for doing for and caring about others."