Born and raised in Los Angeles, Valerie García is the daughter of Mexican immigrants, a tía-nina, and a first-generation queer Chicana who strives to advocate with Latinx and immigrant communities. Valerie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) and will begin the Master of Migration Studies program at the University of San Francisco this fall. Valerie currently works through the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center as a Co-Principal Investigator for a UC-wide research project entitled “Rape Counseling and Crisis Services for Latinas at HSIs and emerging HSIs,” which aims to strengthen support services for survivors from Latinx and undocumented backgrounds. Valerie completed a senior thesis entitled, “Whose HSI? A look into the Undergraduate Latinx Student Experience at UCSC,” and led the initiative to create a student-centered and student-made mural on campus to engage with art as a form of healing and increase a sense of belonging for communities of color present at UCSC. Valerie also enjoys attending concerts, reading stories, and traveling to new places.