Mitzy Valdés was born in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1980. She moved to California as a young girl, and graduated from Jefferson High School in Daly City. Mitzy completed a Liberal Studies degree at Sonoma State University, and a Teaching Credential and Masters in Education and Social Justice from New College of California in San Francisco. She is bilingual and has heritage from Central America.

Mitzy Valdés has worked with youth for over twenty years. She has coached, tutored, and advised youth in various programs, such as the Boys & Girls Club and Migrant Education Advisor Program. Mitzy has taught Art and Humanities since 2005. She has taught in charter, alternative, and Waldorf-inspired schools. Mitzy has continued studying, taking English, History, Spanish, Art, and Environmental courses. She has worked with many organizations, such as the Peace and Justice Center of Sonoma County and the Oakland Shoreline Academy.