Diego Valenzuela Email and Phone Number

I have channeled my passion for constant learning by tutoring. Meeting with students seeking Biology and Chemistry guidance and in need of better understanding, I am expected to thoroughly understand the subject material and then coherently explain this information. I must then patiently clarify any questions that students may have. Through this position, I have developed enhanced personal communication skills in translating complex topics into simpler terms. It is personally gratifying when students grasp topics that have caused them anxiety. I have acquired a newfound motivation to re-master my past studies.

Obtaining significant inpatient clinical experience was a priority after graduating from Notre Dame. I was privileged to gain employment with SEA, which serves three campuses, including a Level One trauma center. My responsibilities include completing emergency medical record charting, placing consulting and admission phone calls for hospitalists and other specialists, discharging patients, and communicating with nurses, patient care technicians, and patients. Having been paired with fifty emergency medicine physicians and physician assistants, I have witnessed countless patient encounters, emergent procedures, and life-saving techniques.

To enhance my research background, I applied to and was accepted to the TGen Helios Education Foundation Scholars program. Approximately six hundred Arizona high school students and college students applied for this program, and forty-five were accepted. Under the direction of Dr. Robert Arceci, the laboratory investigated multiple types of pediatric cancers. With my mentor, Mr. David Lee, I was chosen to determine the putative roles of Maelstrom and PIWIL2, two genes implicated in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. Our studies determined that MAEL and PIWIL2 may be involved in AML as either DNA damage repair genes or as oncogenes. I attended weekly meetings, constructed project designs, learned fundamental molecular biology techniques, graphed and analyzed my results, and presented my findings to my peers. This humbling experience required creative and critical thinking skills and taught me the practical value of scientific methods and inquiry.Please see Accomplishments section for more information.Total Hours: 400

Twenty students were selected for the course titled “On Call.” At the inner-city Family Medicine Clinic of Memorial Hospital, I specifically shadowed second and third year residents. Tasked to observe and note the patient-doctor interaction, my findings were then incorporated in a synthesis paper. I witnessed many unique ailments that differed from my other medical experiences. Cases were thoroughly discussed with the attending physicians, and I witnessed firsthand differential diagnoses and medical decision-making. Additionally, I observed ICU patients at the adjacent Memorial Hospital. Being paired with multiple residents, I learned more about the journey to becoming a physician and found primary care to be quite fascinating. I completed 65 hours of shadowing at this clinic.Additional shadowing experiences:Deborah Vernasco, M.D. - Anesthesiology - Saint Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center (AZ) - 30 hoursTimothy Schaub, M.D. - Plastic/Hand Surgery - Saint Joseph's Orthopedic Clinic (AZ) - 30 hoursWilliam Chavira, M.D. - Obstetrics/Gynecology - 600 West Thomas Road, Phoenix, AZ 85013 - 10 hoursRichard Kelly, M.D. - Internal Medicine - Integrated Medical Services (AZ) - 20 hoursJoseph Wells, M.D. - Pediatrics - MVP Kids Care (AZ) - 10 hoursTotal Hours: 165

To cultivate an understanding of Notre Dame’s Irish identity, twenty-five students and two professors held daily lectures and trekked throughout Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Scotland as part of a summer study abroad program. Our courses focused on Ireland’s history and its diverse palette of literature, and field trips were often taken to gain a cultural appreciation for our academic courses. Despite its size, the diversity of the Emerald Isle was breathtaking, and I came to realize just how significant Ireland is to the history of Notre Dame. Additionally, I became educated in Irish culture and became motivated to expand my horizons beyond Notre Dame and its historic football stadium.Total Hours: 1,000

Seeking entry-level experience, I applied to work at V’s Barbershop, a national-chain of traditional barbershops. As a shoeshiner, my roles included shining patrons' designer footwear, sweeping hair from the floor, preparing hot and cold shave towels, and completing laundry. In this fast-paced setting, I was held accountable for a significant portion of the patrons’ experience. This opportunity taught me about the importance of cleanliness, meticulousness, dependability, teamwork, and about providing quality care. However, having a positive attitude, being polite to every patron, and the ability to engage in small talk on a wide variety of topics were the most enduring lessons.Total Hours: 500

As a student at Brophy College Preparatory, I was required to obtain a certain number of community service hours and to reflect on this experience in multiple papers for a summer course named The Junior Justice Project. I chose to volunteer at the Foundation for Blind Children (FBC) because blindness is a disease that is relevant to my life as my uncle has been legally blind since birth. The decision to work at the FBC not only turned out to be one of the best decisions of my Brophy career, but one of the most powerful and changing experiences of my life. My eyes were opened to the fact that these people in particular deserve much more respect for their unwillingness to give up and their desire to help others prosper. The blind not only work harder than others in all aspects of life (many employees at the facility were blind and worked 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), but they also are greater human beings in nature than most. By working at the FBC, I learned that it is imperative that I show my compassion and respect to all of those in need, especially those disabled, and I learned that I must work towards the common good for all. Through my advocacy for respect for the blind, I must not be discouraged and I must work tirelessly so that one day I will be remembered as someone who helped save the rights of the distressed and despaired. In conclusion, I learned that working with the disabled could be my calling in life.Total Hours: 50