Gauna, Kristine Gravelle

Born at Sacramento, CA and deafened at 18 months of age from spinal meningitis. Educated at various schools because her father moved often in his military career: two public schools in Alaska, the Hawaii School for the Deaf and Blind, and the Nebraska School for the Deaf. After graduating in 1987, attended Daytona Beach [FL] Community College for a year before transferring to Gallaudet University in 1989, but did not finish college. Met her Canadian husband at Gallaudet and moved with him to Montreal in 1991. Later earned a credential from the Career Development Institute in Montreal. Worked at various jobs, including window dresser for a clothing store, computer specialist, ASL/LSQ interpreter, and in 2002 was research assistant to a McGill University study on child language acquisition.