Valeria G. (IN A NUTSHELL)

Valeria is currently pursuing a double major in Political Science and Sociology with a minor in Creative Writing at Stanford University. Although Valeria is a Bay Area native, she spent junior year of high school in Washington D.C. studying ethics and global leadership. Valeria later traveled to Rwanda to further her studies on the genocide and community reconstruction. While attending Mountain View High School, Valeria was involved in the journalism program where she wrote an investigative spread on student experiences with sexual assault. Through this work, she uncovered a loophole in the health curriculum that allowed students to graduate without learning affirmative consent, thus violating state standards. Senior year, Valeria wrote a thesis advocating for comprehensive drug policy reform in order to aid in the instability drug trafficking creates in Latin America—a topic close to her heart as a Colombian American. Valeria also co-authored “Just A Thought,” a book featuring teen experiences with mental health and collaborated on a national campaign to “Stop the Stigma” surrounding mental illness. Since high school, Valeria has taken her leadership far beyond the classroom. Within her first month at Stanford, Valeria walked onto the Stanford Men’s Rowing team to be a coxswain. This past summer, she interned at Alliance for Safety and Justice, a nonprofit organization that works to create criminal justice reform through giving crime survivors agency in community healing and shaping public safety policy. In her free time, Valeria enjoys kickboxing, chasing sunrises and sunsets, and learning from her mom who is a pastry chef. Valeria looks forward to working with students to delve deeper into their interests through writing.