Bernadette has had a life-long interest in learning and comparing visual and audio communication methods, preferring the term “shared history” over “oral history” as a means to better reflect the Deaf population's contributions to the shared human experience and record. Bernadette has worked in various non-profit jobs and customer service jobs until she decided to pursue ASL-English interpreting. After working with Deaf and Deaf-Blind students for several years, she has decided to return to her first academic love: history.

Bernadette is currently researching police brutality in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The focus of this research is on the death of her uncle Roy Gallegos in 1971 and the subsequent protest that erupted after his death. As a side project, Bernadette is also conducting oral histories of people also in pursuit of completing a race in all 50 states.

Outside of work and studying, Bernadette enjoys running. She has completed 28 marathons and hopes to join the 50-state marathon and half marathon clubs. She is at the halfway mark, with 25 states crossed off the list. Besides running, she enjoys yoga, lifting weights, and hiking. She is an avid nature enthusiast and is also an animal enthusiast. Bernadette spends countless hours photographing, painting, and drawing the plants and animals she encounters in nature. As a side job, she often pet sits cats and dogs and currently has three cats.

Bernadette graduated from Temple University with her BA majoring in History and Political Science focusing on “Third-World History” and “International Politics” as her main areas of study. She minored in Art and Latin American Studies. She later graduated from Temple University with her MA in History with Soviet History as her specialized area of study.