Socorro High School senior Adali Valles is making a name for herself on the national art scene. Her artwork, titled "Beatriz," a heartfelt charcoal drawing of her grandmother's hands making tamales, is on display in the historic Cannon Tunnel at the U.S. Capitol, where thousands of visitors and lawmakers walk through each day.
“It makes me happy knowing that my grandma is being shown not only in Texas but also somewhere like Washington D.C.,” Adali said. “It's cool getting to see people pass by, and they get a glimpse of it, and they'll be like, ‘Man, that was really cool!’”
Adali was selected in May as the Congressional Art Competition winner for Texas’s 23rd District, represented by Congressman Tony Gonzalez. Her artwork will be displayed in Congress for a full year, highlighting her talent and honoring her family’s legacy.
In recognition of her outstanding accomplishments, Adali was selected to recite the Pledge of Allegiance at the Socorro ISD Board of Trustees regular meeting in January 2026.
In addition to receiving national attention, "Beatriz" was also selected as one of the winners in the Sabrosas Fiestas competition this winter. A digital copy of her artwork was exhibited on a screen outside the Mexican American Cultural Center during El Paso’s Winterfest celebration in December.
“A lot of people from El Paso can relate to that drawing,” Adali said. “Even friends and family have told me, ‘This is really nice. I feel like I can relate to it deeply. I can take it to heart.’”
Adali credits her passion for art to her family and the supportive community at Socorro High School. Her older brother won the Congressional Art Competition in 2017 when he was a student there. When he traveled to Washington D.C. to receive his award, he took their mother with him. Following family tradition, Adali brought her father to Washington D.C., when she traveled there in June to celebrate her win.
“This award is not only for me; it's for my brother. I mean, he deserves it. He kind of put the stepping stone for me. He helped me through everything,” Adali said.
Socorro High School’s proximity to the Mexican border inspires Adali to express her heritage through her artwork. For the past three years, her pieces have been exhibited at the El Paso Museum of Art as part of the Socorro ISD Student Art Exhibition.
“People may say that I may be good at it, but honestly, it's the community that pushes me. I wouldn't be able to do it without them. My family, my friends, they're all very kind about the things I do,” Adali said.
Adali is also grateful to her teachers, like Alejandra Lopez, who encouraged her to step out of her comfort zone and share her artwork with others.
“She definitely pushed me to go for it, go for my dreams. And I feel like if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have tried for the Congressional Art Competition again, because this wasn't my first time trying,” said Adali, who entered the competition twice before.
Lopez, who accompanied Adali to Washington D.C., said that Adali’s talent and her willingness to challenge herself not only set her apart from her peers but also made her a role model for them.
“It was a great experience getting to see her thrive not only in the classroom but outside at a national level,” Lopez said. “And this year, I feel like since the students have seen her work, and they've seen what she's been capable of doing, and what's out there, I have a lot of students motivated, like looking for inspiration from her.”
Now, Adali is dedicated to helping other aspiring artists break out of their shells through the art club she founded at the school. She was inspired to start it after elementary school students toured the high school and were excited by the artwork created by the high school students.
“I feel like my freshman year, there wasn't anybody to push me enough. And I feel like I was in the shell that a lot of art students are in when they start off,” Adali explained. “I want to make other students feel like they can do it. They can go to the Capitol. They can do all this stuff. I really hope that a lot of other students get the chances that I fortunately was able to achieve.”
Beyond the national spotlight, Adali is enjoying her final year in high school before attending the University of Texas at El Paso this fall, where she plans to study digital media production. She discovered a passion for filmmaking while creating a film for the district’s Horror Fest film festival through Socorro’s audio‑visual program.
She also serves as co‑editor of the yearbook and is an award‑winning photographer, placing second at SkillsUSA last year. Additionally, she is painting a mural in the boys' locker room to leave her legacy at the school.
While she is excited to pursue a future career behind the camera, art will always come first.
“I'm really interested in audio-video right now because it's so new to me. But if I were to talk about something I truly, deeply love that's never going to leave me, it will always be art,” Adail said.