Sonya grew up on a ranch in Linn, Texas. She moved to Austin in 1984, shortly after getting her BFA in advertising design at Pan American University. Sonya previously worked as a book designer at Holt Rinehart and Winston. Currently, she is a senior designer/photo editor for the Chronicle. She loves her job, especially working every day with images of beautiful horses.

Sonya has two musically inclined daughters, a dachshund and a cat with an attitude problem. In her free time, she loves to explore the many facets of visual art, such as photography, ceramics and painting. She also enjoys nature and spending time hiking, biking and practicing Bikram yoga.