Two Vancouver Public Schools employees and two volunteers were honored by the nonprofit Identity Clark County on Oct. 18 as part of the organization’s Land Here, Live Here, Learn Here project. Interpreters Viktoriya Krasovskaya and Elisa Iraheta and volunteers Ken and Sandy Turney received the Real Heroes award along with 24 educators and education supporters from schools, districts and higher education institutions around the county.

Krasovskaya, a Russian interpreter, and Iraheta, a Spanish interpreter, are lifelines for families who speak a language other than English at home. They develop strong relationships with the families they serve all over the district. Whether engaging in numerous parent-teacher conferences, translating materials, advocating for students, connecting families to resources or personally calling parents to invite them to school events, Iraheta and Krasovskaya establish meaningful connections that transcend language barriers. They are fundamental to the district’s welcoming, inclusive culture.

The Turneys volunteer at Hazel Dell Elementary nearly every day that the school is in session. They greet families in the morning, eat meals with their Lunch Buddies and sponsor the school’s Success Nights.