Ana Sofía Ríos Infante: Between Science, Self-Discovery and Community
- Jun 24
- 4 min read
As part of our 10th anniversary campaign, “10 Women, 10 Voices,” we are pleased to introduce Ana Sofía Ríos Infante. Her path is marked by curiosity, courage, and change, and in Germany she has grown not only professionally but also personally. Her story shows how important it is to walk one’s own path with patience, openness, and self-confidence.
From Monterrey to Berlin: A Path Full of Curiosity
Ana Sofía was born in Monterrey, Mexico, and grew up in a very close and loving family. Together with her parents and two sisters, she lived in different parts of Mexico because her father had to move several times for work. From an early age, she learned to see change as a natural part of life. After studying medicine in Mexico, she made a conscious decision to follow a new academic path. Not because she did not want to treat patients, but because she was interested in research, different ways of living, and new horizons. She has always been fascinated by the brain, neuroscience, and learning about other cultures and languages.
In September 2018, she came to Berlin to begin a master’s degree in medical neuroscience at the Charité. What was meant to be the next step in her education quickly became a new chapter in life. Later, she stayed in Germany for personal reasons and began her PhD, which is now almost complete. She currently works for a company in the field of cognitive training.
The First Months: Freedom and Loneliness at the Same Time
Ana Sofía describes her first months in Germany as a mix of fascination and culture shock. On the one hand, she enjoyed the sense of freedom she felt in Berlin — even simple things like walking alone at night felt special. On the other hand, there was also loneliness: the distance from her family, the gray winter, the early sunsets, and the feeling of being in a country where one has to build life from scratch.
What challenged her most was realizing that integration does not automatically mean being welcomed everywhere with open arms. Instead, she learned to create her own place step by step, with patience and a lot of inner work.
Arriving, Growing, and Staying True to Herself
Looking back, Ana Sofía describes her integration as relatively smooth, especially because she made good friends during her studies and later met her husband. Through him, she got to know more people, found a new community, and improved her German at the same time.
Still, the inner challenge remained: the fear of making mistakes, especially in German or in social situations. For Ana Sofía, it was important to learn how to adapt without losing herself. Not to try to be perfect all the time, but to allow herself to be imperfect sometimes. She sees this as one of her most important steps of growth.
Between Science and the Working World
Her professional path in Germany began in academia. First, she worked as a student assistant, then she pursued her PhD and worked as a research associate. From that period, she took away one essential lesson: you have to learn to stand up for yourself.
She explains that unpaid or poorly regulated work is common in universities, and that in such contexts you need to actively assert yourself. The support of her then supervisor, who helped her find an opportunity when her scholarship ended, was deeply meaningful to her. It showed her the importance of both good guidance and using one’s own voice in professional settings.
Today, she sees her current job as another step in her integration into the German labor market. For her, the transition from research to industry meant not only a change of sector, but also a new world with clearer rules, rights, and structures.
Frauenalia as a Space of Strength
Ana Sofía got to know Frauenalia through LaRed, at a moment when she needed to reorient herself professionally. Her contract as a research associate had ended, and she realized it was time to prepare for the next step.
At Frauenalia, she found exactly what she needed at that stage: orientation, honest exchange, and a space to get out of her own head. She describes her experience with Frauenalia as helpful in seeing her own strengths and priorities more clearly. Especially valuable for her was the sense of community — the knowledge that she is connected to other women with similar questions, uncertainties, and goals.
If she had to describe Frauenalia in one word, she says without hesitation: community.
A Message for Migrant Women
Ana Sofía wants to tell other women to be patient with themselves. Migration, professional redirection, and arriving in a new country take time — often more than one expects. At the same time, she emphasizes how important it is to connect with other women, seek support, and avoid carrying everything alone.
Her advice to women who feel lost or alone in Germany is to stay open, not let prejudice guide them, and make room for sadness, breaks, and rest. Not every process is linear. And that is exactly where strength also lies.
Between a Pause and a New Beginning
Ana Sofía is especially proud of having allowed herself a pause last year after her contract ended. She speaks openly about a period of burnout and about how important it was to put her health first. That decision to pause, recover, and consciously define her next steps made her stronger and more confident.
Today, she feels more clearly than before that she makes decisions based on her own conviction and not only on what society expects. For her, that means walking her own path.
A Dream of Authenticity and Belonging
In the coming years, Ana Sofía hopes above all that her medical degree will be recognized in Germany so she can work as a doctor. At the same time, it is important to her to work in an environment where she feels valued and stimulated. For her, well-being is a central measure of success.
Her biggest dream, however, is deeply personal: to simply be herself, without shame and without fear of what others may think. She knows that she has already found much in Germany: her husband, her new family, good friends, and a place where she has been able to grow.
Ana Sofía Ríos reminds us that arriving somewhere does not only mean living there, but also staying true to oneself. Her story is part of “10 Women, 10 Voices” and therefore part of the celebration of our 10th anniversary.
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