Meet Azahalia Valdez

We had the good fortune of connecting with Azahalia Valdez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Azahalia, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
Growing up in Southern California, I experienced two distinct environments. I was born in Mexico, but my early childhood was spent in the diverse yet under-resourced community of Watts, Los Angeles, where we faced common inequalities and noticed the high-rate crimes within our neighborhood. While we experienced hardships, we had great neighbors that helped with building community even though we did not share the same background or cultures. This was pivotal in my upbringing in many ways. We went to a school that was multi-raced, shared spaces with neighbors that came from different countries, but we all worked together to make it a good place to live in. Unfortunately, the crime rate was too much for my folks to deal with when raising us to become good citizens. Our move to San Ysidro, San Diego, after the LA Riots, presented a different landscape. Its proximity to the border meant less racial diversity in our neighborhood and school, but it also led to me becoming more fluent in Spanish than I had been in Los Angeles. Living in San Ysidro allowed for frequent visits to family in Mexico, reinforcing the importance of close familial and community bonds. This understanding fuels my current involvement in volunteer work, including serving on boards and my recent role as Executive Director of the Future Construction Leaders Foundation. I am passionate about building supportive communities, much like the one my family created for us.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My career path has consistently led me to roles where I can help others, a passion that truly drives me. While not an easy road, I think that it helped me realize that we are in charge of which way to go. My career started later in my life because I kept dropping out of college, thinking that working full time would help me pay for my education while helping my family, but I was wrong. It made me tire and I could not focus on work. However, my family came first and I had to drop out to work. I found free learning resources which were incredibly helpful to me. I was able to learn at a flexible time schedule, while I had a full time day job. Those free courses came from community based organizations which I will forever be grateful for. One of the free courses helped me earn a food handler’s permit, which then helped me get a part time (great paying) job at San Ysidro School District. From then on, I knew I was unstoppable. I went back to school while working at this amazing place, earned my Associate’s Degree from the Southwestern College, and kept going.
After graduate school and some time teaching English, I sought a more direct way to serve my community, which led me to the nonprofit sector. My first role at the Boys and Girls Club, running programs, was deeply fulfilling as it allowed me to work with youth. The pandemic prompted a shift, and prioritizing my family’s health, I transitioned to remote work as a program coordinator at another nonprofit. This role offered a valuable combination of helping others, continuous learning, and career growth. It was there that I realized community support takes many forms, but opportunities for personal growth are pivotal. While I valued my work, I remained open to new challenges. That’s when I connected with Future Construction Leaders. Their mission resonated deeply, particularly their hands-on, free learning programs with mentorship and support – the very opportunities I had once sought myself. Joining them felt like a natural progression, and I’m now witnessing the significant impact of our work firsthand.
My message to anyone is simple: You will always have several paths to take. Each one will have its hurdles and challenges. Each will make you want to quit. However, if you get to learn from those challenges, and you get to move past hurdles, you also get to keep going. That is what I have learned and what I want people to know. I do not think I have met anyone who has had an easy road to success, but if they did, they probably feel that way because they kept going.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I always brag about living in San Diego. I think that is why I loved working with international students. If my best friend(s) were in town, they already know they would have an amazing time here. The weather is great year-round, regardless of some of the recent rainy days. We have the best Mexican food north of Mexico itself. But we also have the friendliest people here.
My suggested itinerary for anyone visiting San Diego is simple. Start your day by heading outside because the weather is great. Head out to one of our beaches for a morning walk, and grab a coffee while you are at it. My go-tos are La Jolla, they have a great little town and walking around while window-shopping is the best. You can grab a cup of coffee at Subterranean–their Mexican Mocha is great!
In the afternoon, go central–Hillcrest, South Park, North Park, even Downtown. It is walking-friendly, and you get to explore the many small businesses and restaurants we have in these neighborhoods. My best recommendation is to go to North Park for a great hang out. There are plenty of breweries to explore, lots of dog-friendly spaces, great food, and yes, lots of walking. Tip: Go to Poor House for their tap beers! One of the best places to relax and chat with friends. Then go grab some food on Adams. There is plenty to choose from there. Tajima Ramen is one of my favorites. For a nightcap, there are two places I would recommend: Polite Provisions or Swan Bar, but if you are looking for some Mexican favorites, Cantina Mayahuel is the spot for some fun drinks and appetizers.
Overall, I recommend San Diego as a whole for any day of exploration. We are definitely hard to beat when it comes to food and friendly spaces.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’m a firm believer in gratitude, and it goes without saying that family is primordial in this area. My parents have always been supportive of my paths in life and have always been there for me. My siblings were there in the beginning of my quest to help others and are still a part of that passion. My friends and colleagues have come to be reliable professional supporters. And for all that they do, and all the free learning resources they offer, I can’t thank community-based organizations enough for helping people like myself find roads to success.