Carla Palacios graduated with honors from the University of Texas at El Paso in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in organizational communication. During her final year at UTEP, she was a national and international finalist in collegiate speech and debate, and she received two of the university’s oldest and most prestigious awards: the top ten senior award and the Leader of Mines award. Both awards are based on merit, scholarship, community service, and leadership. She was awarded the Frederick and Anna Douglass Fulbright Award in 2023 and will attend Dublin City University to complete her master’s degree in refugee integration. She hopes to use her experience organizing for migrant rights on the U.S.-Mexico border to support refugees and community organizers through humanitarian and advocacy efforts. She is also passionate about environmental and reproductive justice and mental health. In her free time, she enjoys writing, cooking, swimming, and martial arts.