SciGirls Role Models: Victoria Velez, Biomedical Engineer

Victoria Velez is a Process Engineer at Boston Scientific in Minnesota, but she is also a local mentor and a proud Latina. Although she is currently an engineer here in the Twin Cities, a large part of her journey began after her parents immigrated to Minnesota from Peru. She is one of only a small percentage of women who work in the engineering field, and she does not shy away from speaking about why engineering is important to her.

Why does she do it? Because her work saves lives. A part of her work focuses on anatomy and the structures that physicians use to make life easier for those going through health problems. Victoria followed her heart to a career that focuses her love of hands-on problem solving into engineering medical technologies that benefits others. She was driven to become an engineer because it is both analytical and creative, with ample room for innovation and collaboration. A career in STEM does not have to mean working by yourself in a lab, and there are many possible paths, like Victoria’s, that benefit from communication. Besides being an engineer, Victoria loves exploring the Twin Cities community and mentoring other Latino students who are interested in becoming engineers.

Want to keep the inspiration flowing? Check out additional profiles of Minnesota women in STEM careers.

SciGirls is TPT’s National Science Foundation-funded program that engages girls (and boys!), families and educators nationwide around science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM. By combining an Emmy Award-winning PBS series, multiple websites, hands-on activities and professional development workshops, SciGirls reaches millions on-the-air, online and in communities, inspiring the next generation of STEM superstars.