A Florida International University (FIU) student has expressed gratitude to his anatomy professor in an unusual way—by featuring her on a billboard along Florida’s turnpike.
Brian Becker, a biology major and pre-med student who owns a billboard company, decided to honor Ana Benaduce, his anatomy instructor at FIU. “She’s been one of the absolute best professors that I think I’ve ever had,” Becker said. “Beyond just teaching anatomy, just as a person, she’s been very inspiring to me in the way that she talks about motivation and everything to do with just life in general. I’ve looked up to her for a while.”
The electronic billboard displays an image of the human heart alongside a photo of Benaduce with skeletons used as classroom teaching aids. It also lists her website, WittyAnatomy.com, inviting passersby to learn more about her approach.
The message appeared shortly before Valentine’s Day, coinciding with a time when people often recognize those important in their lives. Benaduce is known for having a significant impact on FIU undergraduates since 2018. Many of her former students have gone on to careers in healthcare fields such as medicine, nursing, physical therapy, and dentistry. Students praise her energetic teaching style and ability to make complex material understandable and engaging.
Benaduce has built an online following with over 490,000 Instagram followers and 248,000 YouTube subscribers. She uses these platforms to share study tips, mini-lessons, and interactive quizzes that reinforce what students learn in class and help build community among them.
“I love what I do. I love teaching,” Benaduce said. “Literally, what makes me do this is that I teach the way I would like to have been taught.”
She learned about the billboard after Becker sent her a screenshot; initially suspecting it was AI-generated until he confirmed its authenticity. The gesture came at a difficult moment for Benaduce—she had just received news that her father suffered a heart attack in Brazil.
“I’m in a billboard, and I’m still speechless,” she said. “I will never forget this moment.”
While Becker’s tribute was especially public, Benaduce says she regularly receives appreciative messages from students both at FIU and around the world who take her online courses.
“They say that they really learn anatomy,” she said. “They finally understand that it makes sense.”
