Valeria Valle
If you are one of SAISD’s one of 7,400 employees who attended Convocation last fall, you may remember Valeria Valle, the Jefferson High School student who gave a memorable and inspirational speech on behalf of SAISD’s 49,000+ students. Now, Valeria has another speech to prepare as valedictorian of the Jefferson Class of 2020. Because of COVID-19 closures, graduation ceremonies have been delayed, but that hasn’t stopped Valeria from working to perfect her speech to her fellow classmates.
“I’m currently in the brainstorming phase,” said Valeria. “Everyone has been so helpful in giving me ideas and just letting me know some tips and topics that could be mentioned, especially in these crazy times. However, I am very nervous because this was something that has been carried around with me since the beginning of my senior year and it’s a big responsibility to give a farewell that accurately depicts just all the amazing memories we all made our last high school year.”
Valeria will be headed to The University of Texas at Austin in the fall to study biochemistry on a pre-med track. One of her teachers, Mrs. Flake, was integral in Valeria’s interest in the STEM fields.
“I’ve had her [Mrs. Flake], since freshman year,” she said. “She taught me freshman and IB biology, as well as chemistry. She has really shown me the love for science. She is able to relate what I am learning to real-life, every-day situations.”
Another factor in Valeria’s choice to study pre-med was the death of her father, Adrian Valle, earlier this semester. He passed away in March. Mr. Valle’s death has had a profound impact on Valeria and her family.
“It was a really hard moment but I get comfort in knowing that my dad is at peace now,” Valeria said. “I get just get comfort knowing that now he is looking after us and he is no longer in pain.”
Her father was in hospice for a couple of months, and because of the positive experience she and her family had with the nurses, Valeria said when she goes into a medical school, she is considering nursing.
“The amazing work the nurse and our social workers did was just filled with so much passion and so much care, it really showed that they cared for others,” she said. “It made me realize that I want to help others.”
Valeria is also considering going into dermatology. She would give her father facials, an experience which she will always hold close to her heart.
Valeria is already helping others by serving as a role model to her three younger sisters. She said that once she told her sister she was valedictorian of her class, they said they wanted to be valedictorians, too.
“We are very competitive,” she said with a smile. “I want my sisters to follow in my footsteps. And to go far, further and beyond. I let my sisters know that whenever they graduate from high school, they better go off and explore. They are going to follow my footsteps and keep on walking.”
Valeria says that she feels prepared for the future thanks to her time at Jefferson.
“My experience here at Jefferson has honestly been amazing,” she said. “The support I get from my teachers, my peers, and all the administrators here is truly wonderful.”
Valeria is part of the very first International Baccalaureate (IB) class to be graduating from Jefferson. The IB framework encourages students to participate in creative and service-oriented activities, while at the same time emphasizing the importance of reflection on a personal and academic level.
“Because we are the first graduating class of IB at Jefferson, a lot of the experiences were new to us and new to the teachers. We are all growing together,” she said. “The program has made me grow, not only knowledge-wise, but in my own personal way. Freshman year, I was super shy; I didn’t really talk. But my IB peers taught me that it is a great thing to join clubs and do extracurricular activities. From there, I began to flourish my own extrovert personality. I get to experience more friends as a result of the friendships I made in my small IB classes.”
In addition to her academic involvement, Valeria is a member of Martha Jefferson Randal Club, Girl Scouts, Student Council, Spanish Honor Society and club tennis.
Valerie’s senior year hasn’t been what she imagined, but she is making the best of it with her positive outlook.
“I am always up for a challenge,” she said. “I love just the curiosity that comes with learning. Knowledge is just one of those things that flourishes in a person. I know at UT Austin, the professors and teachers there are just there to help me flourish in that love for learning.”