Claudia Valencia

Welcome to my class!  It is my honor and pride to serve the community of Santa Ana as I was born and raised in this wonderful city.  I attended Franklin Elementary, Lathrop Intermediate, and graduated from Saddleback High School in 2001. 

Ever since I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to become a teacher.  As the oldest of six children, my favorite game to play at home was escuelita.  I enjoyed teaching my younger siblings new things and helping them with their homework.  In high school, I was the friend who “was good at math” and the one everyone came to for help.  I always enjoyed helping others.  However, whenever I helped my friends make sense of a difficult math concept, it felt invigorating for me.  And it was through these experiences that led me to discover my passion.  This is what I was meant to do with my life.  I was going to be a math teacher!

After high school, I attended Concordia University in Irvine and earned my Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics.  I continued my education, earning a teaching credential at California State University, Fullerton and a Master’s Degree from National University.  In 2008, my dream finally came true and I became a math teacher for the Santa Ana Unified School District. 

I’m deeply grateful to all the amazing teachers, coaches and mentors in Santa Ana who have helped shape the person I am today, and I feel incredibly blessed to teach in the very community I grew up in.  Now, it is my turn (and my heartfelt duty) to guide and support the youth of Santa Ana as they pursue their dreams.