Brooke Velarde-Hernandez was born Deaf, and was raised and lives in Edinburg, Texas. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in the Rehabilitation Program – Concentration on Deaf Studies at Univesity of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Brooke is currently taking Clinical Rehabilitation Counselor courses in the Master’s program at Univesity of Texas Rio Grande Valley. She has been working at Valley Association for Independent Living (VAIL) as a manager for Deaf Services and Independent Living Program in the Rio Grande Valley and South Texas for many years.
