Somewhere out there, if this video reaches someone in the world, and it touches their heart with hope and relief, if that happens, then that is worth all our effort made for this video!

After Thanksgiving, we spent quite some time working on this video. There was a lot of thinking involved in order to make the video exactly the way that we wanted it to be: hopeful and gentle in the new year!

The video has 6 slides, but it can be considered to be 2 parts. The first part with 3 slides is the reflection of our thoughts about changes, challenges, and how to face them. Our answers came out to be to embrace them, to seek the best of the situation, and to tackle them with a comfortable pace.

The second set of another 3 slides is about taking action. The music stops after the first 3 slides and plays again at the 4th. Everything is awakened. It’s about how tomorrow will be better, and the new year will be full of hope, joy, and success.

The pictures of nature are taken from our surroundings. They’ve touched our hearts and serve as inspirations that will guide us along the new year. These simple and soft pictures indicate what we foresee 2025 to be like, and sets the path for the next year.

The first photo: Light is cast on the mountain top and turns the mountain top from green to golden, which signifies magnificent opportunities to come.

The second photo: It’s an image that coincides with the idea of us taking a comfortable stroll into the new year.

The third photo: The text is displayed between clouds, which embraces the message of changes. A rainbow is also a great symbol stretching towards a bright future.

The fourth photo: This is a picture of dawn taken by us, which is filled with hope and beauty.

The music is relaxing, calming, and reflective, which matches our theme perfectly. Every slide is on the beat and not too strong. The music stops at the end of the first set and starts again distinguishes this year from next year.

The video is a collective expression of Monterey Language Services. Through our expression, we hope to make connections with those who come pass our path. We wish everyone a wonderful and successful 2025 and it is filled with optimism and opportunities for growth.

We also have a traditional and simplified Chinese version, which is very convenient for people to greet each other in the new year with positive, uplifting messages.

Following the celebration sound at the end slide, we open the door to the new year! Happy Holidays, Happy 2025, and Happy New Year!

According to the article, Professor Jeremy Siegel is claiming that the Federal Reserve doesn’t see that inflation rates are easing, therefore, the Federal Reserve plans to increase interest rates to combat what they see as high inflation rates, and Siegal believes that this will push the economy into the red.

In other words, Siegel is saying that by raising interest rates and making things more expensive, the Federal Reserve is trying to slow down consumer spending to prevent the economy from crashing if it grows too fast.

Think of it like putting more pressure on the brakes to slow down a car so you don’t hit the vehicle in front of you. Regular people tend to like being able to spend money freely, but in doing so, the economy—think of it again like the car—goes faster, causing inflation rates to go up as demand for products goes up. If consumer spending isn’t slowed by higher interest rates put forth by the Federal Reserve, the economy will crash—just like the car.

So now one of the major questions for us is: How can we combat a recession? In other words, how can we weather the storm, or even try to limit its effects, when we are just ordinary people?

1. Try to refrain from spending too much but at the same time not to be too afraid of spending. In a recession, customers and businesses may be too scared to spend money, but also remember, less spending contributes to a deeper recession, and how long it occurs for.
2. Spend money on right things and in right directions, such as paying off debt, or investing in improvements or good safety nets for yourself or your business.
3. Show your value at work. Without showing value, it would be hard for anyone to be safe at any workplace at a recession. During a recession, even Google or Facebook would lay off employees too. Therefore, it’s important to do your best and secure your current position.

Language Service Providers aren’t just responsible for their business, but also for their employees and their families. Weathering a recession is incredibly important for our business, so what can LSPs do?

1. Remember that language services as a need aren’t going to disappear, so don’t panic. With our increasingly globalized world, language service requests can come from virtually anywhere, even outside of the United States.
2. Cut costs where you can, but treat your employees—and your vendors—well. Employees are the backbone of every company, and one that is treated well will want to give back in every way that they can. Besides, letting go of good employees only to be looking to hire later and train someone new costs time and energy as well.
3. As a business, we often think a recession presents opportunities as well. We should all be more careful and thoughtful in planning and looking ahead to contribute to the health of our company.

This semester I participated in an internship at Monterey Language Services. My learning expectations when going into the internship were to learn how to respond to opportunities.

After my internship, I exceeded my educational expectations. I learned that being proactive is the best way to be successful. It will allow you to start tasks, complete them and if you do them correctly, you will be set up for more in the future. Also, deadlines and quality are vital.

Monterey Language Services has this desire. A need to produce things on time in the best means possible. This is a good strategy to follow for every product or service developed by a company.

Overall my internship at Monterey Language Services has expanded my horizons much more than an in-text education would bring me. It has focused my attention to finding the opportunity in every problem instead of finding the problem in every opportunity.

I now own a company called Interkonnekt where we do social media marketing. This would never have happened without the help of Monterey Language Services giving me the realization and motivation to take action.

Baby steps, one step at a time in the right direction. That is all it takes. Always moving, never stagnant. That is the key to success.

By Matthew Stone