Email: h.valenzuela@berkeley.edu
Office: 163-C Chavez Student Center
Phone: 510-642-1069
Academic Advisor
Advises and assists students towards holistic development, including academic options and alternatives, while understanding and complying with University, College, and NCAA rules and requirements. Provides tailored academic counseling to maximize the student's academic performance while balancing athletic and personal commitments.
Background
Valenzuela’s philosophy as an educator is, “A holistic and hospitable approach, working synergistically to leverage existing strengths while honoring one’s growth edges” (Valenzuela 2024). She is passionate about creating a safe space for the student-athletes she serves that is centered around transparency, inclusivity, neurodiversity, and empowerment- where each unique individual is celebrated for their esteemed differences and challenged to grow in a way that is beyond their own comfort, just like in sport.
Valenzuela graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in Gender Studies and a minor in Food Studies in 2021. As a selected fellow member for the University Office of the President’s (UCOP) Global Food Initiative, during her last two years at UCLA, Valenzuela focused heavily on developing initiatives used to combat food insecurity and food waste at UCLA and the Los Angeles Unified School District. Additionally, she is wrapping up with her postgraduate studies, projecting to complete her M.A. in Clinical Psychology by the end of 2024. Her research focused heavily on clinical and educational psychology among minoritized student-athlete populations and was recently considered as a top PsyD candidate at an institution in Los Angeles.
Valenzuela has a decorated background as an elite distance runner. She was one of the top distance runners in the country over a span of ten years, and her passion for contributing to pushing the space of intercollegiate athletics forward stems from her own ups and downs that she experienced as a first-generation college student, and as a student-athlete at UCLA (cross country and track). One of her career highlights was representing the United States as a member of the U.S National Team in two World Championships.
Valenzuela is ecstatic to be part of such a unique, empowering, and esteemed group of colleagues within the Athletic Study Center and greater UC Berkeley community. She was recently selected as a member of the Spring 2025 Equity-Oriented Advising Coaching Program cohort and is looking forward to continuing to grow as a servant leader, creating lasting impact in the intercollegiate student-athlete experience.
In her free time, Valenzuela is passionate about progressing her personal brand, Locker Talk®. She uses her platform and podcast to spread mental-health awareness, share space, and build community among intercollegiate athletic populations, sharing about her personal experiences of her mental health struggles in sport as well as providing a healing space for current and former student-athletes to share. Locker Talk® can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Valenzuela encourages anyone interested in being interviewed to reach out.