Claudia Valencia

Welcome to my class!  It is my honor 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 everyone always came to me 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 was 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 ultimate dream finally came true and I became a math teacher for the Santa Ana Unified School District. 

I’m grateful for all the amazing teachers, coaches and mentors I’ve had in Santa Ana and I am incredibly blessed to teach in the same community I grew up in.  Now, I get to inspire and support my students to follow their dreams.