Cat Trevino, an Interpreter L with RISE, began her sign language journey at Riverside Community College (RCC). Initially needing a language to transfer, she chose ASL and quickly fell in love with it. Following a suggestion from her ASL 4 instructor, Cat pursued the Interpreter Training Program (ITP) at RCC, which she successfully completed.

A key motivator for Cat is being a reliable support for others, whether she is providing interpreting services to a consumer, backing a colleague or manager, or simply helping a friend. Her passion for language extends beyond ASL; she is currently proficient in Japanese and plans to learn Spanish, Korean, and Arabic in the future.

In her personal life, Cat is kept busy and entertained by her two potbelly pigs, whom she cares for devotedly every day.

Andres H. Castaño has been a valued member of the RISE team since January 2020, bringing years of experience, cultural understanding, and a deep personal connection to the Deaf community. He first began learning American Sign Language in 2009, shortly after graduating high school, when his local congregation offered a foreign language class that introduced him to ASL and Deaf culture. What began as a new learning opportunity quickly became a lasting passion rooted in community connection and respect for Deaf culture.

Since that time, Andres has remained actively involved in the Deaf community and has developed several close Deaf friendships that continue to shape his perspective and reinforce his commitment to language access. His approach to his work reflects RISE’s people-centered values, as he consistently considers what is in the best interest of those he serves while fostering meaningful, trust-based relationships. His knowledge of ASL has also had a profound impact on his personal life—through learning the language, Andres met his wife, Stephanie, who also knows sign language.

Outside of work, Andres and Stephanie enjoy spending time outdoors and can often be found hiking at Mt. Rubidoux, followed by a stop at Tio’s Tacos. They share their home with two miniature dachshunds, Sushi and Tootsie, who are happily spoiled. In his downtime, Andres is an avid gamer who prefers a great game over a movie or television show, with The Legend of Zelda being his favorite game franchise.

Critter Corner

Sushi and Tootsie

Meet Sushi and Tootsie! They were born from different litters 2 weeks apart in 2020; they are pandemic babies, and it shows since they don’t like the outdoors much. Sushi is a short haired dachshund. She’s fiercely loyal, and life revolves around getting rubs or forcing rubs. Tootsie is a long haired dachshund. She is silly and an airhead. Her days are made up of hunting down flies; we have no need for a fly swatter thanks to her. What they have most in common is being sausage length and competing for our attention, though we do see them snuggling on our furbo camera when we leave.
– Andres Castano (Signing Aide)

January Birthday Club!

Joan Bruyninckx
Nicole Hall
Eliana Ayala

Amber Carlson
Thomas York
Trani Morton

Justin Butterfield
Jory Taylor
Makayla Linn

Melissa Cable
Cat Trevino
Katie Waters

December Statistics

1303

Deaf Consumers Served

23

Professional Development Meetings

11

RID & EIPA
Tests Proctored

HIGHLIGHTED Peer Props

Angela L. & Danielle D.: You both covered an assignment for a coworker that was out due to an emotional situation at home, and she wanted to ensure that you both knew how much she appreciated your kind words. She was very touched when she returned and heard from the classroom staff what you both had said. It really made her day through a rough time. Their thoughtfulness reflects RISE’s commitment to being people centered, recognizing and supporting one another with care, empathy, and respect. We love to hear this wonderful display of our RISE values and acknowledgement of how great you all are as individuals and as a team!

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