Valerie Lara is currently a senior at South Houston high school and has been a part of The Torch for 3 years. She enjoys reading and watching movies during her free time. Her favorite book series is "The Hunger Games", and her all time favorite movie is "Interstellar." Her current obsession is listening to Hamilton the musical and watching episodes of Cutthroat Kitchen on The Food Network. After high school, she will be attending Texas State University to pursue a career in public relations.