Karla Gutierrez

Born in Costa Rica, Karla Gutierrez was raised by a single mother after her father died while she was still a child. She developed a passion for music, but pursued a career in business. After losing her mother to cancer, however, she moved to the United States to fulfill her music dream at FIU.

While in school, Karla had an emergency appendectomy but that did not deter her from achieving her goals. She founded the student chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing and also represented the chapter at the 2012 national conference. As a junior, Karla was chosen to receive the School of Music Faculty Scholarship and was recognized by the FIU Student Government Association for her outstanding leadership. Karla shared her story and sang during TEDxFIU in 2014. She has also performed at numerous venues and events, including the 2015 Billboard Latin Music Awards.

Among her other achievements, Karla performed at the FIU International Showcase  and served as a peer mentor for international students. She also interned at the Florida Grand Opera and worked in the Wertheim Performing Arts Center events office, all while maintaining a 3.9 grade point average.

After graduation, Karla will travel to Switzerland to work in music production and continue her studies in computer music.