Emilio Espinal was born and raised in San Diego, California. In 2022, he graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a degree in Anthropology & Geography and minors in Latin American Studies and Spanish. Following his undergraduate degree, Emilio completed an M.A. in Latin American Studies from Stanford University with a research focus on economic sanctions imposed against Venezuela. In his free time, Emilio likes to play basketball, read, and go to the beach.