Rising Stars: Meet Sarah Avila of Bloomington

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Avila

Hi Sarah, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
When I was growing up, I was shy and not as self-confident as I am today. I grew up with three brothers, one older and two younger, which meant I was the only girl in a Mexican and Indonesian household. My mom and dad had always had high expectations of me so that I could study medicine, which I am interested in, but that’s another story I will tell later. My brothers teased me growing up because I would fan girl over many artists (e.g. Justin Bieber, One Direction, Selena Gomez, Austin Mahone, Big Time Rush, etc.), and as I got older, I kept the fangirling to myself; however, all that fangirling led to where I am today.
I have always loved taking photos and videos when I was out and about, whether it was a family vacation, a little day trip, or even a concert. I am such a hardcore memory keeper, even if some were not the happiest memories, that’s the reason I do it all. Right now, almost everyone knows me as the concert girl or someone who is always on the go. It all started in 2014 at my very first concert, which was Austin Mahone, and I vlogged every second of the show. That was during my high school years, so I kept that to myself. But any future concerts I wanted to go to were limited because my parents didn’t want me to go out unless it had to do with school events, and even that was rare. However, as I graduated high school and entered college, the inspiration to capture those moments grew even more.
I chose to major in Athletic Training at Long Beach State, but halfway through my 5 years there I switched majors for personal reasons. I chose Long Beach State because it was cheaper than my other options and I wanted to be away from my family. Being away from my family helped me become more independent and gain more confidence. Because in my free time or after class, I would take the city bus and train to L.A. by myself to concerts or small events that my artists were putting on. On the way to these concerts or events, I met new people who were also fans of the artists.
Fast forward to now, I’m 25 years old and still obsessed with going to concerts, whether it’s its artists I love or my friends who just want to take me. I’m traveling around LA to meet my friends, have lunch with them, and capture memories. With all that being said, I’m also currently an assistant manager at a retail store and plan to go back to school next year.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Going through life is never smooth. When I was in college, my main problem was finding ways to get to LA for these shows or events without spending too much money. I did get a monthly allowance from my family, but it sometimes wasn’t enough, especially when it came to school supplies, food, and personal use. The first two years I took the train and city busses since I lived in the dorms in Long Beach, which wasn’t so bad because we could buy a pass from the school that made it easier to get around the area. When I started my third year, it became a little more difficult because I was renting an apartment and had my car, so the expenses became a little more. I took a part-time job during this time, but it was difficult to find a schedule because I was in school and doing an internship during this time.
Ultimately, I think the biggest struggle is being a woman. Being a woman isn’t as bad as it used to be, but it’s still a struggle. When I go to these events alone, I always have to be on high alert and make sure that no one follows me to my car, that my bag is in front of me, and that I can lock my car as soon as I get in. At these events, you’re not allowed to bring pepper spray or certain items, which is reasonable, but at the same time, it’s hard for women to protect themselves, especially if they are alone. Not only that, if I have a drink at these events, some people get too drunk and a little rowdy, so when I am alone I have to be very vigilant. Even at work, I explained to a man why we can’t do what he wants and he didn’t believe me until one of my male colleagues explained the same thing to him and he believed him.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Growing up, I was always the person who liked to help someone. That’s why I graduated from Long Beach State with a bachelor’s degree in sports psychology. As I mentioned before, I’ll be going back to school next year. I plan on earning my physical therapy assistant certificate. Also, I plan to earn a certificate in strength and conditioning, which will be beneficial for working as a physical therapist assistant. I also plan to get my master’s or doctorate in the next 5 years.
In my professional life, I’m currently an assistant manager at a UPS retail store. Last month in June I’ll have been with the company for 4 years. We do Amazon returns, shipping to many areas of the world, printouts whether from a phone or banner (all sorts of things), notaries/livescans, etc. We do a lot and are a one-stop store. Besides being an assistant manager there, but also a notary and live scan agent. I have a lot of regular customers there and they always ask for me or ask for me when I’m not there. I’m known for being the most outgoing and cheerful employee there, and my employees enjoy their work more when I’m there.
In addition to my professional activities, I’m also known as a concert-goer outside of work. I’ve been to a lot of concerts over the years, and some people ask me for advice on certain venues, where to park, and so on. I’m proud of it because it feels good to be asked these questions like I’m a pro at it. When I go to these shows, I sometimes do mini vlogs or outfit transition videos on TikTok, but honestly, I only post the outfit transitions, the vlogs are rare. I think this sets me apart from others in a way because I’m always in a rush on the days of these shows. The night before, I prepare my concert bag (which contains my concert outfit and essentials). The next morning I get up at 6 am, start the day with a workout, eat some kind of breakfast, drive to work between 8 and 9 am, and then finish around 4 pm, sometimes I drive straight to the concert or pick up my friend with whom I then drive straight to the concert. The next morning I usually have another 9 am shift scheduled when I’d be getting home between midnight and 1 am.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Social media is the greatest thing out there right now! They’re evolving so fast that it’s sometimes hard to keep up with what’s new. Some popular social media apps are Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (now known as X) and TikTok. They’re useful tools in many ways. Social media allows you to communicate with your family, see what’s going on in other people’s lives, get tips, and even find out what’s going on in the world. I’m convinced that this industry will continue to develop over the next 5-10 years. I mean, it already is. Not only that, but I’ve noticed that everyone is slowly going back to digital cameras and using disposable cameras as well. This means that everyone is trying to capture more felt memories. Even though the technology is on the rise, people still want the paper memory. There are so many trends going on that it’s hard to keep track. I see videos like “A Day with Me” or “Get Ready with Me” becoming more popular, and outfit transition/inspiration videos are becoming more popular too! Even though many people see social media as a bad thing, it’s a good thing in the long run.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/love_sarah74/?igsh=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@xodelia71?_t=8oNsQvLqNVy&_r=1

Image Credits
1st Image (Professional One)- Vanesa
2nd Image (Me taking a photo of something)- don’t remember who took the photo
3rd Image (Me in front of more photos)- Laila
4th Image (Plane Sunset Image)- Me
5th Image (Night pic facing billboard sign)- Vanesa
6th Image (Wiltern Sunset Image)- Me
7th Image (Me with Jonah Marais)- Alex
8th Image (Sunset in VA)- Me
9th Image (Jeremy Zucker)- Me