Reopening June 2025 · Capped at 100

The NIC exam doesn't wait for you to figure it out alone.

The Certified Collective is a membership community built specifically for ASL interpreters preparing for the CASLI NIC Performance Exam. Real community. Modeled interpreting. A space where the professional conversations about your work actually happen.

NIC · Nationally Certified Gallaudet University Grad 11 Years Interpreting RID Plenary Speaker 2023 Netflix's The Circle S5

Get My Spot — $99/mo See What's Inside

Founding cohort sold out. June reopening: 100 spots. 1 price. No exceptions.

Sound familiar?

You study. You practice.
You still don't pass.

You've watched the NIC videos, read the rubric, maybe even retested. But you've never had a space where interpreters who are serious about the exam actually talk about the work — honestly, specifically, and without sugarcoating it.

You don't know which part of your performance is holding you back. Is it your register? Your source language interference? Your message integrity? Without a professional community pushing that conversation, you're preparing in a vacuum.

The interpreter community online is supportive, but it's not structured. Nobody in your Facebook group is going to tell you that your ASL is too English-influenced for a passing score. That conversation requires a professional space.

Every time you sit for the exam, it costs you time, money, and confidence. The NIC is not a test you can brute-force. It requires deliberate skill-building — and that's not what most interpreters are getting.

What's actually at stake

Every exam attempt without the right preparation is expensive.

The NIC Performance Exam isn't just a test. It's a gate. NIC certification determines the agencies you can work with, the settings you can access, and the income ceiling you're bumping up against. Interpreters who pass move up. Interpreters who don't stay stuck — not because they aren't skilled, but because nobody ever gave them a structured, professional environment to develop the skills the exam actually measures.

That gap is exactly why The Certified Collective exists.

I'm Ready — Show Me How to Join

Your coach

Hi, I'm Paris.
I've been where you are.

I'm a nationally certified ASL interpreter (NIC) with a Master's degree from Gallaudet University and 11 years of experience interpreting across government, post-secondary, video relay, and platform settings.

I've spent years working with interpreters at every stage — pre-exam, mid-preparation, post-fail, and everything in between. What I've learned from that work is that most interpreters aren't lacking skill. They're lacking a structured space where the right conversations happen. A community where someone who has done this work at a high level can model what a strong interpretation actually looks like — and where you can assess your own work against that standard.

I'm a 2023 RID Conference plenary speaker and a member of the Netflix family from The Circle Season 5. But what matters most to your preparation is this: I've coached interpreters through this process, and I built The Certified Collective because the community I'm describing should exist.

NIC · Nationally Certified

MA · Gallaudet University

RID Plenary Speaker 2023

Netflix: The Circle S5

11 Yrs. Professional

55K+ Social Following

What you're getting

A community built around
one thing: your preparation.

Every resource and session inside the Collective is designed to help you build the skills the NIC Performance Exam measures — inside a community of interpreters who are doing the same work.

Monthly Live Zoom Sessions

Structured group sessions featuring Paris's modeled interpretations of real vignettes. You watch, you assess, you compare against your own work. The learning happens in the observation and the discussion — not in a lecture.

Live · Monthly

Hot Seat — Feedback on Your Work

Through the NIC Skills Clinic, members can book a Hot Seat session and submit their interpretation for direct feedback. Members of the Collective get free Shadow Seats at every clinic — observe, learn, and level up from the sidelines.

Clinic · Members Get Free Shadow Seats

Scenario-Based Practice Content

Practice vignettes built around real interpreting contexts — government, post-secondary, platform settings — so your preparation connects to the work you're actually doing.

Library · Growing

Peer Community with Accountability

A focused space of interpreters who are actively preparing. Post clips, give feedback, celebrate passes, ask the questions you can't ask anywhere else. This is the professional community the interpreter world needs more of.

Community · Always Open

Study Vault

Organized resources, prep guides, and reference materials — all in one place. No hunting through threads to find what you need.

Resource Library

Direct Access to Paris

Paris is active inside the community — not just dropping in for a monthly call. When you have a question about the work, you're getting answers from someone who has been doing this at a high level for over a decade.

Community Access

Your first 30 days

You won't be dropped in and
told to figure it out.

Week 01

Get Oriented

Set up your profile, explore the platform, and get acclimated to the community. Learn where everything lives before you dive in.

Week 02

Meet the Community

Introduce yourself, connect with other members who are in the same preparation phase, and meet peer coaches Jess and Ryann.

Week 03

Sign Up for a Skills Session

Register for your first monthly Zoom session. Watch Paris model an interpretation of a real vignette and assess what you observe against your own work.

Week 04

Grab a Hot Seat or Shadow Seat

Book a Hot Seat at the NIC Skills Clinic to get direct feedback on your interpretation — or use your free Shadow Seat to observe a peer's session and learn from the sidelines.

From the community

What interpreters say
after working with Paris.

"He created an environment where you can be open and truly grow. The feedback was practical and immediately applicable. He also helped me better understand my strengths, which boosted my confidence and reinforced trust in my abilities as an interpreter."

— Stephanie · ASL Interpreter NIC Skills Clinic

"Paris gave each of us insightful, constructive feedback that was both helpful and encouraging. I left feeling more confident, motivated, and with tools I can immediately apply to my interpreting work."

— Melissa · ASL Interpreter NIC Skills Clinic

"The feedback was precise and actionable. You named what was happening without making it feel like a verdict. That is the difference between coaching and critiquing. This clinic is the freshest and most targeted preparation I have had."

— Aish · ASL Interpreter NIC Skills Clinic

"Seeing how you interpreted the stimulus was so helpful — watching you incorporate the feedback in your own work gave me an idea of what those things in action could look like. For a Black interpreter, it makes such a difference seeing faces like mine who have succeeded over this daunting test."

— Dana · ASL Interpreter NIC Skills Clinic

"The feedback I received helped me break down my own process of thinking in a way I hadn't before, making it easier to identify what I was doing well and where I could improve."

— Alex · ASL Interpreter NIC Skills Clinic

"This was AMAZING feedback — helpful, affirming, and exactly what I needed heading into my next exam attempt. I am rescheduling my test soon after a technology issue at the very end of my first attempt, and I will absolutely let you know how it goes."

— Jamie · ASL Interpreter NIC Skills Clinic

Ready to join

One price.
One focus.

The Certified Collective reopens in June at $99/month, capped at 100 members.

June Reopening — Limited to 100 Seats

^$99_/mo

Cancel anytime. No annual commitment required.

Monthly Live Zoom Sessions — modeled interpreting with community discussion and self-assessment
Free Shadow Seats at every NIC Skills Clinic — observe Hot Seat sessions and learn from the work
Hot Seat Access — book a clinic session to submit your interpretation and receive direct feedback
Scenario-Based Practice Content — real interpreting contexts mapped to exam preparation
Study Vault Access — organized resources and prep materials in one place
Peer Community + Accountability — with fellow interpreters and peer coaches Jess Rodriguez and Ryann
Direct access to Paris — active inside the community every week

Claim My Spot — $99/mo

100 seats available · Founding cohort sold out

Be honest with yourself

This is for you — or
it isn't.

This is for you if:

You're actively preparing for the NIC Performance Exam — first attempt or retake
You want a structured, professional community where real conversations about the work happen
You're open to watching modeled interpretations and honestly assessing your own work against them
You want to be around other interpreters who are serious about certification — not just curious about it
You've done the free stuff and know you need a focused environment to actually move forward
You're committed to showing up, engaging, and doing the work between sessions

This isn't for you if:

You want a passive program you can ignore for weeks at a time
You're not actively preparing to sit for the NIC — just "thinking about it someday"
You want only positive reinforcement with no honest reflection on your work
You're not open to having a professional community observe and engage with your interpreting
You're looking for a shortcut that replaces actual preparation hours

Common questions

What people ask
before they join.

What level interpreter is this designed for? +

The Certified Collective is designed for working ASL interpreters who are actively preparing for the NIC Performance Exam. You don't need to be a veteran, but you should be interpreting in professional settings and ready to engage honestly with your own work. Interpreters at all stages of exam preparation — first-timers and retakers — are welcome.

I've already failed the NIC. Is this still for me? +

Especially for you. Many interpreters who retake the NIC failed the first time because they prepared in isolation — without a community that could push the right professional conversations about their work. The Collective is built to close that gap. You'll be surrounded by interpreters who are doing the same preparation, learning from modeled interpretations, and actually talking about the work at a level that moves the needle.

How do I get feedback on my actual interpretation? +

Through the NIC Skills Clinic Hot Seat. As a Collective member, you get free Shadow Seats at every clinic — you can observe Hot Seat sessions and learn directly from the feedback and discussion. When you're ready to put your own work in the seat, you can book a Hot Seat and submit your interpretation for direct feedback from Paris. That's where the 1-on-1 level of attention on your specific work happens.

How much time do I need to commit each month? +

At minimum, plan for the monthly live Zoom session (typically 60–90 minutes) plus time to engage in the community at your own pace. Members who get the most from the Collective show up to sessions, participate in community discussions, and take advantage of their free Shadow Seats. The more you put in, the more you get out.

Can I cancel anytime? +

Yes. No long-term commitment required. You can cancel your membership at any time. That said, interpreters who stay engaged over multiple months consistently build more skills than those who dip in and out — skill development takes repetition, not a single session.

How many spots are available? +

100 spots for the June reopening. The founding cohort sold out. This cap is intentional — it allows Paris and the peer coaches to maintain the quality of community and engagement that makes the Collective worth joining. Once it's full, the waitlist opens.

Is there 1-on-1 coaching available? +

The Certified Collective is a group membership community — coaching happens through live sessions, the community, and the NIC Skills Clinic Hot Seat. If you're interested in private 1-on-1 coaching outside of the membership, reach out directly at paris@parismctizic.com to inquire about availability and current offerings.