Sıla Avcıl

Sıla is a first generation Turkish-American who was raised between the United States and Turkey throughout her life. She attended middle school in Socorro, NM,  high school in Turkey, and she moved back to New Mexico to pursue her college education. Sıla is an alumna of the University of New Mexico (UNM) with her Master’s in Political Science, with a focus on International Relations and Comparative Politics. She completed her BA at UNM as well, where she double majored in International Studies concentrating in Conflict, Peace, and Diplomacy, and Foreign Languages concentrating in French and German. She has over ten years of volunteer experience in the community with local nonprofit organizations. She is the Co-Founder of the Global Shapers Albuquerque Hub, an initiative of the World Economic Forum where she empowers young individuals to contribute to their communities in meaningful ways and conducts community development projects. Sıla is also a  co-Founding Board Member of Imagine, Abq where she assists the organization to put together annual cleanup events that help build a sense of community among Burqueños and empowers a sense of ownership in beautifying the places we live. She is also currently serving as the elected Board Chair of Common Cause New Mexico. Sıla has been working in legislative advocacy since 2022 and enjoys combining her passions for community empowerment with her work.