Azahalia Valdez, SD Futures Foundation
Azahalia is the Program Director for both the Digital Learning programs at the San Diego Futures Foundation (SDFF). She completed her AA in General Studies at the Southwestern College. She then pursued her BA in Spanish at San Diego State University and transferred to the University of Southern California where she earned her MA in Teaching. It was during her time at SWC that she realized the importance of having a form of mentorship throughout the higher education system and where her focus was driven from Business Administration to Education. Azahalia went on to teach preschool to middle school-aged students at the San Ysidro School District where she had several administrative and para-educational duties that spanned from 2006 to 2015, then moving on to private higher education at the University of San Diego and the College of English Language.
Azahalia found her niche in leadership when her colleagues suggested she become the Interim Director of Education at the College of English Language (CEL) where she worked for 4 years and helped create the Pathways to College program as well as initiated the online learning platforms used today by CEL. She worked for the Boys and Girls Club of Greater San Diego as their South Bay ASES Program Manager.
As a South Bay native, Azahalia understands that there is an ongoing need for accessible and equitable educational and skill-building resources, and many communities have similar needs to hers as she navigated from free educational resources that could afford her employable skills so she can then pay for college. Azahalia hopes to continue advocating for affordable educational and job resources and utilizing her time at SDFF to help build programs that can help underrepresented populations find career pathways.