Hello,

I am Katja, an Educator, Editor, Translator, and Interpreter.

I'm a Multilingual Content Magician making content shine for the technology, education, humanities, and non-profit sectors.

About Me

I'm a a dynamic, multilingual (English | Spanish | German) educator, editor, copy editor, translator, and interpreter, with extensive experience creating and editing professional written content in the technology, education, humanities, non-profit, and online news sectors. Clients value my ability to assess and understand client needs and deliver writing that engages their audiences. I perform well in deadline-driven, fast-paced environments while pushing creative limits to deliver projects that surpass expectations. I'm creative, analytical, and a proven collaborator, adept at leveraging skills across industries and platforms to produce dynamic, innovative content. I'm passionate about compelling storytelling and excel at establishing a strong style and a unique voice. Tools of the trade they feel comfortable with include Microsoft and Google Workspace applications, Adobe InDesign, WordPress, GitHub, SEO, HTML, CSS, markdown language, and AP, Chicago, and MLA style. In addition to a Master's degree in Latin American Studies from The University of Chicago and a PhD in History from the University of Washington, Katja holds a Poynter ACES Certificate in Editing and a Diploma in Software Development from Code Institute.

Services

Looking to make your content shine? Work with me!

My expertise is in the areas of technology, education, humanities, news, and non-profit organizations. If you are not sure if your projects falls under one of those, just send me a message. I'm looking forward to working with you!

Editing

Developmental and in-depth editing and
Copy editing

of print and online content.

Curriculum Development

Curriculum development and lesson planning

In the areas of 20th-century German, Jewish, and world history and social studies
For middle school through college students
Inclusive of English learner, diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, and learning differences

Translation & Multilingual Web Design

Translation of print and online content

from German or Spanish to English.
from Spanish or English to German.

Creation and localization of bi- or multilingual websites from scratch or using tools such as WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace.

Remote Simultaneous Interpreting (RSI)

RSI using Zoom, Teams, or other digital communication platforms between English, Spanish, and German in any direction.

Featured Editing

Knock LA

Decades of Imprisonment: The Fight to End Life Without Parole

Behind prison walls in Chowchilla, something monumental was about to happen. It was 2012. The housing unit dayroom was packed — some women leaned against walls while others squatted on the dusty concrete floor, squeezing in between the few couches and chairs already filled with expectant faces. Our older community, with decades of imprisonment having taken its toll, leaned on their walkers or sat in their wheelchairs in the front.

There had been no need for the housing staff to make an announce

Knock LA

Class Action Lawsuit Challenges Pretrial Detention of Arrestees Who Can’t Afford Bail

A group of civil rights organizations has filed a lawsuit challenging the policy of jailing arrested individuals due to their inability to make bail.

Blog Post The Art Deco Society of Los Angeles

Newsletter Teachers' Curriculum Institute

Featured Writing

UW Stroum Center for Jewish Studies

Expanding what it meant to be Jewish in East Germany as the Berlin Wall fell

In recent months in Germany, the debate around so-called Vaterjuden_jüdinnen, or “father Jews,” i.e., Jews who have Jewish roots only on the patrilineal side of their family, has gained renewed attention in the media due to a debate between Maxim Biller, a writer born in 1960, and Max Czollek, a writer and poet born in 1987.

Cuba Counterpoints

Europe’s Refugee Crisis and the Post-Socialist Margins

On October 3, 1990, the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany. This date marked the official final point of the German reunification process. Anthropologist Katherine Verdery points out that the end of communist regimes all over Eastern Europe was often framed as a rescue scenario from the claws of totalitarianism and the beginning path toward life ‘as it should be’ in the formerly socialist block. Indeed, a teleological thinking seemed to take hold, expecting an upward path toward progress and success. Accordingly, in their reunification euphoria, German leaders as well as the public took for granted that the extension of the Western social, economic, and political structures would automatically lead to a prosperous and harmonious society. But it did not. The twenty-fifth anniversary of German reunification this past weekend coincided with what politicians and the media have called the “refugee crisis” and “a huge challenge which will affect German society lastingly.”

View More of My Work

Who I've Worked With

Bishop Fox ✐ California Rural Legal Assistance ✐ California Work and Family Coalition ✐ City of Santa Monica ✐ Communities for Just Schools Fund ✐ Facing History and Ourselves ✐ Knock LA ✐ Liberty Hill Foundation ✐ National Domestic Workers Alliance ✐ National Employment Legal Project ✐ Oxy Arts (Occidental College) ✐ Physicians for Social Responsibility Los Angeles ✐ The Hartman Group ✐ The Kaizen Company (for USAID) ✐ The Wende Museum ✐ Transgender Law Center ✐ UCLA Labor Center ✐ University of Washington Stroum Center for Jewish Studies ✐ and others.

Testimonials

"Katja and I worked together on a project creating a web-based German self-study course. In their role as
editor, I got to know Katja as a very conscientious person, with a keen eye for detail. Katja thinks deeply about the content they are editing,
always asks all the right questions, consistently picks up on anything that could be improved, lacks coherency or is otherwise maybe just not
quite right. I really appreciated Katja's extremely high quality standards.
Katja has definitely made a huge impact on the quality of the final product. On top of that, Katja is very communicative, fun and generally a pleasure to work with!"

- Kendra Jaudzin, Digital Adult Education Specialist

"Katja has a brilliant analytical mind and a
sharp eye for detail, which have served them well as a writer, editor, researcher, and teacher. I know Katja well, from our years in graduate
school together as well as our time teaching together as TAs for the same undergraduate course, where Katja developed scaffolded writing exercises to teach students how to analyze primary sources and
communicate their arguments in concise and compelling academic prose.
Katja is passionate about communicating ideas and helping others to do the same and is skilled at drilling down into the nitty gritty of language to shape it to its most powerful effect (in multiple languages!). Trained as a historian, Katja interrogates texts with a
critical eye, and as an editor asks important questions that many others would not consider, helping the author to address concerns before they arise. Perhaps equally important, Katja is energetic, has a quick wit, and
is a compassionate listener who can understand and relate to people coming from multiple perspectives – all qualities that make Katja a
pleasure to work with."

- Britta Anson, Technical Writer & Editor

"I've been lucky to work with Katja as a translator and interpreter in my work with the California Work & Family Coalition. Katja helps create a warm and inclusive environment in the meetings where they play a role and they have helped the Coalition make strides in our own commitment to language justice. Katja is also easy to work with and deftly responsive when there have to be last minute changes. I always feel more at ease when I know Katja is part of a meeting or event."

- Jenya Cassidy, Director, California Work & Family Coalition

"Katja is a fantastic editor and teacher. From their wealth of experience working in education, they contributed fresh new ideas to our department with confidence, empathy, and a wonderful ever-present sense of humor. Katja helped to nurture cybersecurity consultants and develop their talents as writers through her sharp edits and her abundance of compassion. A natural leader with a knack for working with multilingual writers, Katja succeeded in producing high-quality text in collaboration with our consultants regardless of their writing ability, frequently working under tight deadlines and in high-pressure situations. If a project was assigned to Katja, I always knew that they would be on top of it and that it would benefit from Katja’s keen eye, and I could also always count on them to proactively and clearly communicate across the delivery teams to ensure that everyone participating in the writing, editing, and delivery processes stayed informed and in touch. Working with Katja was a pleasure, and anyone who intersects with them professionally is lucky indeed.  "

- Erin Kozak, Editorial Manager, Bishop Fox

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