Where are they now: Valerie Reina

Gabriella Maestri, News Editor

Setting the fastest 5k time of 17:46 in Har-Ber history, Valerie Reina left her mark three years ago. Reina graduated in 2012 and was part of the yearbook staff her senior year. Though she wasn’t as involved with other activities going on, she spent a lot of time running cross country and track, setting multiple records. Now going on her fourth year of running both cross country and track at the University of Arkansas, Reina is kept busy year round. Reina is a senior majoring in elementary education and will graduate in the spring, but will not be done with school just yet. Reina has been accepted into the Master of Arts in teaching program, so she’ll start graduate school next year.

“I am a full time student this semester. In years past I have worked, but this year my schedule is really packed with practice, travel, and classes. Depending on the day I either start by going to class or my assigned elementary school where I work with kids in the classroom. Everyday I have practice from 3:30-6 p.m., and this is probably the toughest part of my day. The grind is real,” said Reina.

Once the competitive meets begin in cross country, Reina is racing every other weekend. Though she misses a lot of class due to this, she also has the opportunity to travel and visit many different places. Most importantly, she loves getting to represent the school. Since the Razorbacks are so proudly supported by the state, Reina believes it’s really special to call herself a Hog.

“In all honesty I didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I chose to be a student athlete. It’s not an easy task. There have have definitely been many lows, but also several highs. All the encouragement from my friends and family have kept me with the sport and helped me get to where I am now. After investing so much time into running, I also have lots of self pride and goals that I want to accomplish- most of the time that’s what really keeps me going when the running gets tough,” said Reina.  

Being viewed as a successful alumni is something that encourages Reina and lets her know that all the hard work was and is worth it. She hopes students that are currently at Har-Ber now can see how far alumni students have come and realize they too can be just as or even more successful.

“When I was at Har-Ber, the school really emphasized the phrase ‘WE ARE HAR-BER.’ This really impacted my attitude towards things I did-  it was really catchy. After leaving high school, I started applying that attitude toward other things I became a part of. Not only does it help me to remember to be proud of who I am, but also being proud in what I do. My Har-Ber experience taught me to love where I am, love what I’m doing, and do it with purpose,” said Reina.