From Curiosity to Connection: Sofia Ayala

2026 Inclusion In Digital Marketing Scholarship Scholar

This year, we were once again amazed by the number and quality of applicants for our Inclusion in Digital Marketing Scholarship. It’s never easy to narrow the field down to one recipient, but we’re proud to say that our search for someone who embodies curiosity, resilience, and a genuine passion for connecting with people led us to Sofia Ayala.

Sofia is a rising junior at the University of Illinois Chicago, majoring in Marketing with minors in International Business and Supply Chain & Operations Management. Her path to marketing started with a childhood fascination with anything she could “run” or “create,” she launched a YouTube channel from her grandmother’s computer. In 2022, Sofia and her family moved from Venezuela to the United States, and that transition reshaped how she saw her own interests and where they might lead.

“Moving to the U.S. gave me the opportunity to see those interests from a different perspective and a wide range of opportunities to discover,” Sofia shared. “By my junior year of high school, I realized that marketing brought together so many parts of myself that had always been there: my interest in business and technology, my creativity, and my curiosity about why people connect with certain ideas and products.”

Since then, Sofia has built real-world experience as a Digital Marketing Intern at AVW Equipment, stayed active with organizations like the American Marketing Association and ALPFA at UIC, and given her time to causes including the Alzheimer’s Association and the Greater Chicago Food Depository, all while adjusting to a new country, language, and education system.

More about Sofia and her perspective on marketing:

When you were a little kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

“When I was little, I used to tell my parents I wanted to be the mayor of my dad’s hometown. I’m not sure I completely understood what being a mayor involved, but apparently I was very sure about it. Looking back, I was always curious and drawn to things that made me feel like I was creating, organizing, or running something. My career interests definitely changed as I grew up, but I think that part of my personality stayed with me.”

What first sparked your interest in marketing, and how did your move to the U.S. shape that path?

“I didn’t grow up knowing I wanted to work in marketing; I didn’t even know what marketing was. Growing up in the 2010s back in Venezuela, I was always curious about new technology… I would sell bracelets, stationery, and other little things at school, and in 2016 I started my own YouTube channel about editing software tutorials using my grandma’s computer. Through creating videos, I started learning about content, audiences, trends, and what made people interested in watching something, without realizing that many of those things were connected to marketing.

That is when marketing stopped being something I was unknowingly doing and became something I could actually picture myself pursuing as a career.”

Tell us about your internship at AVW Equipment, what was your biggest takeaway or learning from that experience?

“AVW has Serbian roots and works with distributors in different parts of the world, so I was able to see how marketing supports a company operating across different markets. It made me think more about how a company presents its brand internationally, communicates with distributors and customers from different backgrounds, and adapts its marketing while still maintaining a consistent identity.

My biggest takeaway was learning how important feedback and collaboration are in marketing. Working with a team taught me that the first version of an idea is not always the final one, and receiving different perspectives can make the work stronger.”

How has being bilingual, and generally navigating multiple cultures, shaped the way you think about connecting with audiences in marketing?

“Being bilingual has made me understand that communication goes far beyond translating words… you have to understand the person, the context, and what they actually mean. I think about marketing in the same way. A message that connects with one audience may not have the same meaning or impact with another. It’s about understanding who you’re speaking to and finding the best way to genuinely connect with them.”

What kind of impact do you hope to make with a career in international marketing?

“I hope to build a career where I can help companies grow beyond their current markets and reach consumers around the world. I’m especially interested in data-driven marketing and using consumer insights to make better decisions, while also understanding the global operations and supply chain behind a product. Long-term, I would love to work for an international company where I can continue learning about different markets and be part of projects with a global impact. I also hope to eventually take everything I learn throughout my career and use it to build something of my own.”

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to other students, especially those navigating a new country or culture, who are interested in studying marketing?

“My biggest piece of advice is to stay curious and not be afraid of not having everything figured out yet… I would say to explore as much as you can. Join organizations at your school or university even if you don’t know anyone there, try different areas of marketing, and keep up with how technology is changing the field. You might already have skills or interests that connect to marketing without even realizing it.”

What’s been the biggest challenge in getting to where you are today, and what’s kept you motivated through it?

“Moving to the United States meant leaving my grandparents, my best friends, my favorite foods, and all the little things that made a place feel like home. At the same time, I had to adapt to a new language, culture, and education system while beginning to build a future for myself here.

My mom and my dad have been my biggest motivation through all of it. I know the sacrifices that were made for me to have these opportunities, and I want those sacrifices to mean something.”

Is there anything else you’d want people reading your story to know?

“I don’t expect to have my entire future figured out right now, and I actually like that there are still so many directions my career can take. I am very grateful to have been selected for this scholarship. To me, it represents more than financial support; it is also encouragement to keep pursuing something I genuinely care about.”

Looking Ahead

Sofia’s story is a reminder that a career in marketing rarely starts with the word “marketing” itself. It starts with curiosity: a camera, a bracelet business, a YouTube channel edited on a grandmother’s computer. What turns that curiosity into a career is the willingness to keep learning, even, and maybe especially, when everything around you is unfamiliar.

Sofia’s bilingual, cross-cultural perspective and her clear-eyed focus on international marketing feel especially relevant right now, as brands increasingly need to communicate authentically across borders and communities. We’re proud to support her next steps at UIC and can’t wait to see where her curiosity takes her.

Congratulations, Sofia. We’re rooting for you!

A huge thank you to our Scholarship Partners, we couldn’t do this without you!