Valentina is originally from Venezuela and has lived in the Houston area for about 45 years. She studied at the University of Houston, where she received a Bachelor’s in Spanish and French Linguistics and Literature and a Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction. While in college, she taught Spanish at the Berlitz School of Languages. Later on, Valentina was a bilingual teacher at Houston Independent School District and an Assistant Professor at the University of Houston – Downtown. More recently, in her capacity of Educational Consultant, Valentina has trained pre-service and in-service teachers in the areas of Spanish as a Foreign/Second Language and for Bilingual/English as a Second Language Programs. She has traveled extensively to various continents around the world and holds travel as her most important interest.