Paola Valenzuela is a poet from the border towns Agua Prieta, Sonora and Douglas, Arizona. She was a coordinating staff member of Spoken Futures, the grassroots literary organization behind the Tucson Youth Poetry Slam. In November of 2020, she published her first chapbook, Cricket’s Lament: Poemas de Duelo e Inocencia. She was also one of two artists awarded the 2021 Sonoran Arts Residency in Ajo, Arizona.

Paola is the Poetry Center’s Event and Development Coordinator. She coordinates and facilitates the Reading & Lecture Series, Classes & Workshops program, and many other initiatives, including everything from pre-event administrative details to day-of-event support.