Val grew up in a working class family in Braintree, Massachusetts. Her parents divorced when she was just a toddler and she has a strained relationship with both of them. Along with her three sisters, Val was raised by her mother Joyce, who struggled to make ends meet. She has made her own mistakes growing up in Southie, and has paid a price; at the age of 18, Val was in prison, guilty of two DUIs. Now she is determined to change her life and not let her past define her future.
She's recently been accepted into University of Massachusetts Boston but with a marred record, is anxiously waiting to see if she will be offered any financial aid. She is determined to be the first person in her family to graduate from a four-year college. She's also landed an internship with Christy Cashman, a wealthy Boston philanthropist.
