In the 46th episode of our “50 Stories for 50 Years” series, we spotlight the inspiring journey of Ana Avilés Vargas, a first-generation immigrant who forged her own path into biomedical engineering. Facing early obstacles—from navigating the U.S. education system to discovering her passion for neuroscience—Ana demonstrates the power of determination, mentorship, and community support.
In this episode, Ana candidly shares how family encouragement, guidance from SHPE mentors, and her own unwavering persistence helped her earn admission into a PhD program. Tune in to learn about the value of facing fears head-on, giving back to others, and embracing the nonlinear paths that lead to extraordinary achievements. Don’t miss this uplifting conversation as part of our “50 Stories for 50 Years” series!
Check out Ana's Podcast: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/latinasteminars
50 Stories Website: shpe.org/50-stories
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shpenational/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SHPE
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shpenational/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/society-of-hispanic-professional-engineers/
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.