(Jan Fried, ASL Professor at KapCC, is shown on the left. Nicklas Matsumoto, a staff writer for Kapiʻo News, is shown on the right.)

[Editor’s note: This story has been corrected. Please see below for more information.]

By Nicklas Matsumoto | Staff Writer

Professor Jan Fried has taught American Sign Language classes at KapCC since 2016.

When classes were moved online last March due to the global pandemic, COVID-19, Fried faced challenges to her usual class format. She had to use Zoom classes, which meant the loss of a dynamic view, comfortable space to sign and ease of interaction with her students. But through the last year, she has gained invaluable technology skills, which she can use for the future.

This Q&A with Fried, excerpted from a 20-minute interview, highlights the challenges and learning opportunities for Fried and others in the ASL community over the last year.

[The initial story incorrectly stated that Fried has been teaching ASL at Kapiʻolani Community College since 1996. She has been teaching interpreting at the college for nearly 30 years and teaching ASL since 2016. She has also been the coordinator for the ASL/English Interpreter Education program for nearly 30 years. We apologize for the error.]