November Student Spotlight: Meet Anais from Tucson Salpointe
November 25, 2024
Meet Anais Valencia, a senior at Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson, AZ. Attending Salpointe is a tradition and a legacy in the Valencia family. Everyone from Anais’s mom, dad, sister, aunts and uncles have all graduated from Salpointe, making it an important part of their family.
Anais’ sister graduated from Salpointe in 2023 and is now attending NAU. She also received a scholarship from the Arizona Leadership Foundation. Anais herself has been receiving scholarships from ALF since the 2014/15 school year, when she attended St. Ambrose School for her elementary school years.
Anais has just committed to play softball at Nelson University. She plans to be a biology major as she would like to pursue a career in Veterinary Sciences or Marine Biology. She is going to minor in business as she said she hopes to run her own clinic one day. She recently volunteered with the Tucson Rodeo to get exposure to this area down the road. And speaking of softball, Anais was a member of the Varsity team at Salpointe that won the 4A State Championships last spring and hopes to repeat again this year.
“I’ve had the pleasure of teaching Anais as a sophomore in my English 10 class and currently as a senior in my Native American literature course. I was thrilled to see her name on my roster this year because she is the kind of student a teacher loves to teach. Not only is she respectful and attentive, but she demonstrates a true curiosity and love of learning that will serve her well in her future. I don’t doubt that my colleagues will agree with me. Anais embodies the positive role model that we hope all students will emulate, and I am grateful to know her,” Maria Urbibe, Salpointe English Teacher.
Anais shared with us how the scholarship from ALF has impacted her life, “The scholarship from Arizona Leadership Foundation has helped me maximize my learning experience and increase my chances of achieving my career goals. I have been able to stay at Salpointe throughout my high school tenure thanks to the generosity of donors and the awards ALF has made towards my education. In May 2025, I will proudly be a graduate of Salpointe Catholic High School, thank you Arizona Leadership Foundation.”
About Salpointe Catholic High School:
Salpointe Catholic is a college-preparatory high school in the Carmelite tradition of prayer, community and service, where students grow into the leaders and role models of tomorrow. We offer our diverse student/parent population a holistic education which fosters faith, encourages the pursuit of excellence, develops servant leaders, affirms the dignity of individuals and promotes global social justice. For almost 75 years, Salpointe Catholic High School has enjoyed a distinguished reputation for rigorous curriculum, award-winning arts programs, competitive athletics, faith‐strengthening religious programs and spirited co‐curricular activities.
To find out more about Salpointe salpointe.org.
