The Valladolid Family Legacy

Written by Inez Odom, OLP Strategic Initiatives and Research Director

in the evening to Mexico, created a strength, an awareness, and an advantage for Carina and Marcela that has defined who they are in the world and has allowed them to enjoy incredible success, which has transcended to the next generation of Valladolid young women. The core of the Valladolid legacy centers around the bonds of family, faith, love and heart.

“There’s a saying in Spanish [applied to women] which means ‘the less you speak, the more beautiful you look,’ which is so sad. Attending OLP provided me with an opportunity to stand in my own power in a way that I had never experienced before. For us to go to OLP, all of a sudden, it was just women at the podium. It was just women with the microphone. It was just women raising their hands. It was definitely life changing. We had the best teachers. Everybody was so open minded, everybody was so encouraging. It really was a safe space,” Marcela concludes. Attending OLP helped to develop both Carina’s and Marcela’s sense of personal identity and agency. They saw a different world was available outside of the traditional gender roles experienced at home.

“By attending OLP, I became aware that there was more in life. It was the first space I remember not being scared to be me,” reflects Carina Valladolid ‘94. The discovery of their authentic voice is a life changing outcome shared by both of the Valladolid sisters. Carina recalls, “when we went to OLP, we developed an outlook that was more flexible. It is those spaces of flexibility that allow me to break so many patterns of so many set ways. Today, the relationship I have with my daughters is one of respect, acceptance, and letting them live their lives in their authenticity. It had its roots in learning to think differently while attending OLP.”

With OLP situated in the hub of bicultural commerce, the history runs deep of educating girls who daily cross the border to have a seat in class. Yet it was truly foresight on the part of the parents of Carina Valladolid ‘94 and Marcela Valladolid ‘96 to send their daughters to OLP with a committed understanding in the value of providing a strong, rigorously academic, Catholic education, along with an immersive American experience. They did not want to forgo their own rich culture of the Tijuana community, which their daughters could return to in the evening, which has had a transformational impact upon their lives. Living a bi-national daily experience of waking up in Mexico, traveling to the United States for education and returning

Carina and Marcela both share that their bond as sisters is unusually close in a way that strengthens them both and allows the entire family to benefit. Marcela reflects, “What we do right, as a family, is non-judgment and a ton of respect between the members. Through a lot of work and evolution, the space that we’ve created, my sister and I, is extended to the rest of the family. It involves respecting one another, not judging one another and focusing on the fact that life is to be enjoyed. The only thing that you’re doing on my journey is walking it with me. There’s no judgment; there’s no opinion of my journey, unless it’s asked.”

Gabriella Valladolid ‘26, Daniela Valladolid ’23 and Isabella Valladolid ’21 are Carina’s daughters. Gabi ’26 shares her reflections on OLP as a frosh. “OLP is such a nice and friendly space. It’s a very comfortable environment. I can remember my aunt, Marcela, speaking at the Women’s Symposium. I remember sitting there listening, and I was aware of OLP’s impact as a light, free, and loving space.”

Gabi, along with her mother and sisters, is part of a family dedicated to service traditions. Working with and supporting very poor, disadvantaged children with developmental disabilities is an area of emphasis for the family. Marcela identifies that food is her “love language,” and niece Gabi hones in on the beautiful connection between her mother and aunt as she describes their cooking show. “Just watching them bring all that energy and all the love to the people that are watching is so incredible because they both have such different personalities. It’s always incredible getting to be behind the scenes. To see how much love they give to people.” It is evident that being of service to others is a defining quality for the Valladolid family.

Marcela thoughtfully reflects that “when we jump from a different culture to a different country, to a different language, to different foods, it’s such a unique experience. I actually didn’t realize how unique it was until I did my very first interview with the Wall Street Journal. I was talking about my food and my new fresh take on Mexican food and I briefly mentioned that I would cross the border every day. That begged the question, how does that work? Literally we would get in the car at six in the morning, sometimes lunch in hand, or breakfast in hand, in a tupperware container. We would eat it in the car. We would carpool with all the Mexicans in our neighborhood and cross the border. Go to school in San Diego. Live a fully American life for half of the day and then head back home and have enchiladas for dinner and have a fully Mexican experience. That’s what happens in this Tijuana - San Diego region for us. We have this innate system that enables us to navigate both (countries) and transition so smoothly. Honestly, that has been one of the most impactful forces that built my career. When I am speaking to my community as an American, I am fully embraced as an American. But when I’m speaking as a Mexican or Latina, I am also fully embraced as a Mexican or Latina. And that’s because that experience is fully authentic for us. We literally grew up with a foot in either country, either culture, and either language.”

“I always say that the biggest gift that our parents are leaving us is faith. Their unshakable and non negotiable faith, and for them a Catholic school education was also non negotiable. So that was part of the gift from them to us,” shares Marcela Valladolid ‘96.