Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, at a very early age Ms. Valerius had dreams of becoming a performing artist. However, like many young black girls, she also suffered from a lack of self-esteem and self-confidence that contributed to the repression of her aspirations, hopes and dreams. "As a young Black girl, I grew up feeling very much like the ugly duckling compared to my peers as a result of not looking a certain way."

The recipient of several academic scholarships, Valerius went onto St. John’s University in New York majoring in Mass Communications and marked the beginning of her production career, as the Director and Co-Producer of a play entitled, The Revolution Continues: Changing Times Call for Changing Minds during her