Carla Sofia Avila

When Carla Sofia Avila was born in Venezuela, doctors told her parents that they should prepare for her death. Doubtful of her chances of survival, they believed it would be a waste of time to treat her for the rare birth defect known as Spina Bifida. Her parents, not giving up hope, found a foundation out in Texas that arranged for her to have critical surgery to save her life.  

After a successful surgery and returning to Venezuela, Carla Sofia’s family decided to flee to the United States due to rising political tensions and the socioeconomic state of their home country. A freshman in high school at the time, she persevered alongside her support system and family, continuing her education in Miami in order to graduate and become a Panther.  

Carla Sofia double majored in Digital Arts and Graphic Design with minors in Art History and Marketing. 

During her time at FIU, she has been a diligent and distinct voice for accessibility and inclusion on campus. Along with focusing on graduation, she maintained leadership roles in Roarthon (Committee Member of the Year 2020), Student Government Association (SGA), and sorority life with Delta Phi Epsilon (New Member of the Year 2018). Furthermore, she will be one of the faces of FIU’s upcoming disability accessibility campaigns, where she encourages the FIU community to look beyond the labels of disability and truly get to know their fellow Panthers that live differently.  

After graduation, Carla Sofia plans to continue working in the graphic design field and further growing her business, Graphics By Sofi, where she makes and sells custom digital illustrations globally.  

By Zion Sealy 
Social Media Assistant  
College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts