When Ana Vargas was 14 years old, her family immigrated to the Midwest from Mexico. Speaking no English, Ana struggled to find her voice in America, but she persevered and, over time, began to understand the new language by watching children’s cartoons.

Ana’s journey to Swift Prepared Foods was not an easy one. After graduating high school, she began college studies in early childhood education and got married. When she found out she was pregnant with her first child shortly following her wedding, Ana set aside her college plans to take care of her growing family.

Expenses began adding up, and Ana wanted to help support her family financially. At the time, her husband was working at Swift Prepared Foods, and, without his knowledge, Ana submitted her application to the company unconfident that she would be hired.

To her surprise, Ana was hired packing boxes, although she quickly transitioned into a role as a quality assurance manager. Three years into this position, Ana agreed to fill a vacant role in the lab, but she knew her passion was working with people.

Eventually, a training manager position became available, and Ana’s supervisors encouraged her to apply. Ana was worried about the major shift in responsibilities, but when she was offered the position, she knew she finally found her perfect fit within the company.

“Swift Prepared Foods has helped me grow not only professionally, but personally,” she said. “My favorite part of the job is to talk to people – to make them feel that they’re not just a number.”

Now a single mother of three, Ana works hard as a training manager, ensuring all new hires have the resources they need to succeed at Swift, and as a parent, providing a better future for her kids. Once her children are old enough, she looks forward to going back to school to pursue a degree in human resources.

“Everything is possible as long as you put your mind and heart to it.”