Beatriz Sosa Prado: An Èxito! Grad Overcomes Immigration Challenges to Advocate for New Immigrants and Their Health

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Editor’s Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2014 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply now for the 2015 Èxito! program.

Beatriz Sosa Prado
Los Angeles, Calif.

Born in Mexico City, Beatriz Sosa Prado later immigrated with her family to Los Angeles.

Influenced by the many challenges that immigrants encounter once they come to the United States, Sosa Prado pursued educational degrees with aims of being an advocate for them.

Indeed, with the support of her family and husband, Sosa Prado earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of California, Irvine, and a master’s degree in health science from California State University, Long Beach.

She went on to become a bilingual nutritionist who helps Latina mothers in Los Angeles.

Now ready to become a public health researcher and develop community-based interventions meeting the needs of Latinos in Southern California, she was encouraged by her mentor (America Bracho) to apply for Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program, which offers a five-day summer institute and internships to encourage master’s-level students and health professionals to pursue a doctoral degree and a cancer research career.

During the Éxito! Summer Institute, Sosa Prado was exposed to doctoral education resources and networking opportunities with well-established Latino researchers.

“I am convinced I belong in a PhD program because I have what it takes,” she said. “I know I am needed in my community, and I need to represent them.”

Éxito!, a program funded by the National Cancer Institute and directed by the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, will select 20 master’s-level students and health professionals from across the nation to attend a five-day summer institute in June 2015, in San Antonio, offering research information, tools, tips, role models and motivation to encourage participants to pursue a doctoral degree and a career studying how cancer affects Latinos differently. Participants also are eligible to apply for one of several internships. Apply here.