Born and raised in Arequipa, Peru, Cecilia Mansilla moved to the San Francisco area when she was 15 years old and learned English when she was 16 years old. She secured college scholarships to all the schools where she applied and ultimately received her Bachelor's Degree in international relations with a double minor in Japanese and Spanish literature from the University of California, Davis.

Mansilla currently works as a technology risk consultant for a professional services firm in San Francisco. She has previously worked as a management consultant.

Mansilla's hobbies include black and white photography, dancing and working out regularly. Her heroes are her parents for having sacrificed a comfortable life in Peru to allow their children greater opportunities in the U.S. She hopes to become involved in charities for real life survivors and would like to mentor young girls on pursuing higher education and career goals.

Mansilla currently resides in Oakland, California. Her birth date is January 13, 1977