Carla Montiel: I Am Barnes & Thornburg

I AM...

• A Venezuelan native who moved to the United States after graduating from law school at a Catholic University in Caracas, Venezuela
• The mom of a 25 year old who despite the challenges with his health is my greatest love and accomplishment
• A wife to a sweet and handsome Colombian husband who holds me in his arm every morning and makes me feel safe and optimistic
• The daughter of a music educator who dedicated most of her career to the popular Venezuelan music system “El Sistema.” This is a free music education program serving primarily Venezuela’s many “barrios” and low-income communities.
• A dog lover who has had dogs my entire life. The first dog I had was a German Sheppard mix named Fresa (Strawberry in Spanish). I currently own an imperfect couple made of a 12-year-old male mini-pin and a 4-month old female mini-Schnauzer.
• A decent horseback rider who also knows a thing or two about making cheese and raising chickens as I spent most of my childhood at my dad’s farm in the mountainous region of Venezuela
• An arepa lover who eats this very dish almost every day at home. My dream is to one day open an “Arepera” (similar to a taqueria) here in Los Angeles.
• Someone whose heart remains in Venezuela although I have been in the U.S. for 26 years. I have two half siblings, my dad and step-mom still living in my broken country. 
• An atheist with very high moral standards and the upmost respect for all living things
• A stranger to television and sports! I have never owned a TV set and know nothing about shows or sports teams. 

This profile appeared in the September 2020 edition of I Am Barnes & Thornburg.

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