Ling was educated at Del Campo High School in Fair Oaks, California in 1991, followed by the University of Southern California. Ling chose to leave USC before graduating, entering the professional sphere at a young age as a reporter for Channel One News, and electing to "find her education by visiting different countries instead." Speaking to USC students in 2016, Ling explained, "I think traveling is the best education. If there's one takeaway here tonight, it's to travel … I'm convinced that you are better, smarter, more marketable as a job candidate if you travel." She is fluent in Spanish.