Meet Valeria Salinas: Senior at Uplift Ascend Preparatory

This year, Uplift Ascend Preparatory is celebrating a historic milestone: its first graduating class. Among these pioneering scholars is Valeria Salinas, who began her journey at Uplift Ascend in the sixth grade and is now preparing to take her next big step—college.

From the very beginning, Valeria was drawn to Uplift Ascend because of its strong academics and the sense of community it offered. She says, “What I love most about Uplift Ascend is how challenging and supportive it is at the same time. The academics push us to grow, and the community lifts us up.”

Valeria has made the most of her time at Ascend, both in and out of the classroom. She serves as the President of DECA, is a proud member of the National Honor Society, and is always involved in senior events. 

One of her favorite memories is a new tradition started by her class—Senior Sunrise. “Watching the sunrise together reminded me how far we’ve come since middle school. We’ve grown up together, and it really hit me how much these people and this place mean to me.”

As the first in her family to attend college, Valeria carries a deep sense of pride and purpose. Her mom has been her biggest support system, and Valeria is proud to be setting a new path for her family. “My mom is so proud. Knowing that I’m making her proud keeps me going, even when things get tough.”

The journey to college hasn’t been easy, but Valeria has leaned on the Road to College and Career (RTCC) team at Uplift Ascend for support every step of the way. “The RTCC team, especially my college counselor, has been amazing. They’ve given me advice, helped me weigh my college options, and made sure I had the resources to succeed,” she says.

Valeria applied to more than 21 colleges and received acceptances from 20 of them, both in Texas and outside of Texas. Thanks to her strong academics and the help of the RTCC department, she was awarded major scholarships from schools like Texas A&M and TCU—many of which cover just about full tuition. She discovered most of these opportunities through dedicated scholarship time during class, which helped her make the best financial decision for her future.

She plans to double major in Business and Law, driven by a passion to make a positive impact on the world. “I want to create change,” Valeria says. “Classes like business management and being involved in DECA really helped me discover that passion.”

As Valeria gets ready to announce her decision with Uplift Ascend’s first graduating class, she carries the spirit of the school with her—hard work, community, and the drive to build something meaningful. “I’m going to miss the people, the culture, and all the scholars I’ve grown up with. But I’m excited for what’s next.”