When Karla Avila ’20, ’23M walked across the stage to receive her MBA, she achieved a milestone that fewer than 8% of Latinas in the United States attain: earning a master’s degree. Now a research analyst at NBCUniversal, Avila leverages her Spanish-speaking skills and Monmouth education to support ad sales by forecasting and predicting show performance on NBC and Telemundo, contributing to high-profile projects like the Super Bowl and the 2026 FIFA World Cup. As a first-generation college student, she hopes to one day pay it forward by mentoring others like her.

How I Got Here

At Monmouth, I explored my passion for media and communication while refining my Spanish through courses like Spanish for Business and a life-changing study abroad experience in Cádiz, Spain. Hosting the award-winning show “Nuestros Sonidos Latinos” on WMCX and producing content with HawkTV provided invaluable hands-on experience in production and scriptwriting—skills that helped me get to where I am today.

Monmouth Mentors

So many people helped me on both an academic and personal level: Professor of Spanish Alison Maginn encouraged me to study abroad, and Specialist Professor Frank Cipriani, who coordinates “Nuestros Sonidos Latinos,” taught me to believe in myself. Monmouth’s career development office helped me land my first internship with NBC, which opened the door to four more opportunities and, ultimately, to my current full-time role.

My Career Goals

I’m passionate about media and business and hope to grow into leadership roles while mentoring others the way I was mentored. Eventually, I’d love to give back as an adjunct professor, helping students—especially first-gen students—just like Monmouth helped me. I’m always an open book, so anyone with questions can feel free to reach out and connect with me.