Some people have a gift for truly seeing another person – not just for who he or she is, but who each can become. They listen deeply, notice the details others may miss and find ways to bond that leave a lasting impression. Those people stand out in a world focused on the glitz and glam, reminding us of the power of empathy and connection.  

Bernice Valenzuela has embodied this gift for more than 30 years at Harris County Department of Education (HCDE). After leaving the medical field, she joined the School-Based Therapy Services division as an occupational therapist (OT) in 1994 and has become instrumental in building a program that serves more than 7,000 students annually across 38 school districts.  

“I was drawn to HCDE because of the students,” said HCDE’s December Employee of the Month. “I always wanted to work in a job where I can work with people, and throughout the years, I feel like I’ve learned as much from my students as they learned from me.”  

Hailing from the small town of Alpine, Valenzuela quickly learned the importance of education from her father, who battled racial politics as a teenager and then fought for equal education as an adult. The OT continues his fight within the system today by ensuring students who face everyday challenges like tying their shoelaces or holding a pencil can learn in a traditional classroom. However, she describes her overall goal as a therapist as helping students find their voice and become advocates for themselves.  

“I would often joke with the kids and say, ‘You know, I can’t go home or to your next grade with you in your back pocket, but if I teach you how to do things and how to discuss what you need with your teachers, parents or the other students, you will always have those tools with you,’” Valenzuela said. 

Valenzuela’s mom was her biggest source of inspiration. Despite not graduating from high school due to an illness, the mother of five found a way to provide for the family after her husband’s untimely death.  

“With no skills and no education, she managed to find work and help her family,” an emotional Valenzuela said. “But in watching my mom, I realized she was always respectful of others and had this playfulness about her that was just amazing. She had a great sense of humor, and something about her just drew people in.”  

All these are traits that anyone can see Valenzuela inherited from her mother, shining through in every interaction and smile shared with students, families and colleagues. It’s one of the many reasons Senior Director Carie Crabb nominated her for Employee of the Month. The pair have worked together since the early 2000s when they were both named managers in the division. 

“I would definitely describe Bernice as the heart of Therapy Services,” Crabb said. “Bernice has always been my rock, and I think that is true of so many people on the management team but also in this organization. She is an amazing support person who knows everybody, it doesn’t matter the level of your job title, she treats everyone with the same love and respect.”  

In her current position, Valenzuela manages therapists in Spring Branch Independent School District and supports several smaller districts, but her recruitment efforts set her apart. There, her gift of sight thrives as she builds relationships with potential employees and always makes herself available for conversations, guidance and more.  

“Sometimes she maintains relationships for years with people before we hire them,” Crabb said. “She will talk to candidates on the phone for a long time, probably longer than they thought they might be having a conversation, but she wants to make sure that they understand what this job will entail.”  

Added Valenzuela: “It’s not so much what I’m looking for in a candidate, but it’s what I hear in their voice and their stories. I listen to what they want to do in their job and how they want to reach others because sometimes I’m also talking to therapists who have never worked with children or in a school setting. So, I listen for what might be a fit and often think it’s intangible. I don’t think you can quite put your finger on it. You just hear it in their voice.”  

Traci Gault is one of the many therapists the December Employee of the Month recruited over the years. The occupational therapist had just moved from Virginia and was staying in a hotel more than four hours from Houston when she came in for an interview with the Department. When Valenzuela found out, she immediately offered to help Gault find the fastest way home and insisted she call upon arrival.  

“I was almost home when my phone rang, and I saw it was Harris County. I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, what is this?’” Gault smiled. “When I answered the phone, it was Bernice. She just wanted to make sure I had made it home safe and sound. I had never experienced that before with an interviewer and knew she was the person I wanted to work for.”  

That compassion for people shined through once again in July when Valenzuela camped out in a local McDonalds parking lot after Hurricane Beryl to use its Wi-Fi. She wanted to check on the dozens of candidates who lived in heavily damaged areas. 

“She genuinely wanted to make sure they were all okay,” Crabb said with pride. “She’s an amazing occupational therapist, and I think the most important thing in her role now is her ability to teach. She is hiring and training the next generation and sharing her gift with her direct reports. I feel very blessed that Bernice is here to help ensure that our division hires the right people for us and the students we serve.”  

Instead of rushing past the small, meaningful moments that connect us as people, Valenzuela stops to see the person in front of her. Whether it’s students learning to advocate for themselves, a colleague seeking guidance or a candidate unsure of his or her next step, she offers the same steadfast care and thoughtful connection. Her legacy at HCDE is one of quiet but profound impact—building a community of compassion, understanding and excellence among Harris County school-based therapists. 

“We’ve been doing this for more than 30 years together, and this division is very much in our hearts,” Crabb said. “It’s very important to us that our mission continues at the level of excellence we’ve been able to create since we started in 1974, and Bernie is definitely a big part of that puzzle. I know that Therapy Services will be in good hands and that kids will continue to receive the excellent services we can deliver because of people like Bernice.”   

To learn more about HCDE School-Based Therapy Services, visit hcde-texas.org/school-therapy.