My name is Georgia Ann Cline. I grew up with hearing parents, and my mother discovered I was profoundly deaf at the age of two. Despite this, my mother ensured that I did not miss out on language and education, making her one of three percent who learned ASL and made sure I was just as normal as I could be being deaf. My parents made sure that I was not deprived of language skills and fought for MY language, which is American Sign Language. My mother was and still is a great advocate for me and has been my entire life. I am a mother of four children and I am now a grandmother of eight grandkids.

I graduated from Model Secondary School for the Deaf in Washington, D.C. in 1985 and was also on the Dean’s List. I was very involved in theatre and art as well, and during my senior year, Paramount Pictures chose me to have a part in the movie Children of A Lessor God in 1986. I studied at Gallaudet University in 1989 with an Associates of Applied Science degree. I graduated from Tri-County Community College as a transfer student earning a Bachelor’s degree in 2014. I then transferred to Western Carolina University, studying in linguistics and history, and minored in social work. I was also chosen to spend a summer at Ludwigsburg University of PH in Stuttgart, Germany, to study the history and culture of Germany.

I have served many years empowering the deaf community in all different kinds of situations with the deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing families with deaf children and adults, as well as children who are deaf with other disabilities. I personally truly enjoy educating and empowering the deaf and hearing communities. For thirty years now, I have taught ASL classes, which helps promote communication and understanding between the hearing and deaf cultures.