Karla Cruz Godoy: 5 Things About The ‘Survivor’ Player Who Earned An Immunity Idol After Risking Her Vote

Karla Cruz Godoy is off to a great start on Survivor 43. The 28-year-old is a member of the dominant Coco tribe, who still have all six members intact since they haven’t visited Jeff Probst at tribal council yet. Karla also earned a Hidden Immunity Idol when she found the “Beware Advantage” in episode three. Karla had to risk losing her vote, but she smartly bartered with her tribemates to collect their beads to form the idol bracelet that will keep her safe. The fans are loving Karla so far and are hoping she goes deep into the game.

So, who is Karla Cruz Godoy? We’ve got everything you need to know about the standout Survivor 43 contestant right here!

Karla is an educational project manager.

Karla works as an educational project manager at Big Picture Learning, a learner-centered education organization, according to her LinkedIn. She “provides strategic and programmatic support for a variety of projects” at the job. Karla is also the co-founder and co-chair of Big Picture Learning Alumni Association.

She lives in Delaware.

Karla is from San Diego, California, according to her Survivor bio, but now she lives in Newark, Delaware. In her pre-game interview with Parade, Karla revealed that her parents immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico. “Struggling while growing up was tough,” she explained. “It kind of built this resiliency in me that I carry everywhere I go. And my parents worked a lot, so my grandparents raised me. It felt like the cards were stacked against me. But I wasn’t gonna give up that easily.”

She received a scholarship from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Karla is the recipient of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation‘s Millennium Scholarship, which allowed her to attend UC Berkeley where she got her undergraduate Bachelor’s degree, followed by her Master’s degree at Johns Hopkins University. Karla told Parade that she’s the first person in her family to graduate from high school and college.

She’s married.

Karla is openly queer and is married to Alyssa Martins Cruz. Karla posts cute photos of the happy couple on her Instagram. One of the special moments she shared was when they bought their first house in February, which Karla called a “dream come true.”

Her favorite ‘Survivor’ player is Cirie Fields.

“I love her. I feel like she’s a favorite for a lot of people,” Karla told Parade about four-time Survivor player Cirie Fields. Karla also said she relates to Cirie being a “plus-sized woman” and that they have similar stories. Another Survivor player that Karla loves is two-time winner Tony Vlachos.