Social Work Student Bridges Cultures and Communities as City’s Multicultural Liaison
At age 15, Mariana Abarca moved with her family from Mexico to Little Rock, where her father was excelling as a bicycle mechanic.
“It was a huge shock,” Abarca recalls. “We didn’t speak the language. I didn’t know the system. I went to high school, and I had no idea what GPA or the ACT was. It was like starting from zero, but my parents were very clear that there were many opportunities for us in the United States, even more being bilingual. They were very clear that we needed to contribute to the world. They always told me and my siblings that we needed to help others.”
Now a senior social work major at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Abarca is making a significant impact in the community by serving as the City of Little Rock’s multicultural liaison. Through her dedication and passion for fostering understanding and collaboration among diverse groups, she is helping to build stronger, more inclusive communities.
Abarca is tasked with ensuring that Little Rock meets the needs of its multicultural communities. She fosters clear and effective communication and provides translation services to ensure Spanish-speaking residents receive and have access to important information.
“I serve as a vital bridge between the diverse communities in our city,” Abarca stated. “My primary responsibility is to ensure that our residents receive the information they need. As a liaison for all city residents, I also organize educational workshops on various topics. Additionally, I establish relationships with different embassies, coordinating visits to Little Rock on weekends to offer essential services to our residents. We have successfully collaborated with embassies from the Philippines, Honduras, Colombia, and Guatemala.”
Abarca noted how important these embassy visits are because Little Rock residents often may not have the time, money, or transportation to visit out-of-state embassies. Additionally, she also oversees the city’s successful Municipal ID program and coordinates the classes for Emprende, the Spanish-language counterpart of the BUILD Academy small-business incubator program.
“The main purpose of Emprende is to educate Spanish-speaking business owners on how to strengthen their businesses and successfully apply for contracts,” she said. “We understand the critical role these businesses play in our economy, and we want to see them thrive. With the growing number of Hispanic businesses in the Little Rock area, there is a greater need for education on how to formalize their operations and do things the right way to ensure growth and contribute more effectively to the city’s economy. This program is very special for me because I have seen how the community benefits and learns from it!”
For her efforts, Abarca was recognized by Arkansas Business as a member of the 2024 20 in Their 20s cohort. Every year, Arkansas Business honors 20 young Arkansas professionals in their 20s who are emerging leaders and whose talent and career success goes far beyond their years.
At just 21, Abarca was the youngest person selected for this year’s cohort. She and other honorees were selected from among more than 300 nominees. According to Arkansas Business, selections are made “with an eye toward accomplishments, responsibilities and people clearly ahead of their time.”
“I was really happy to be selected for this,” she said. “I don’t go to work or to school hoping to get recognized. I do it because I want to help people and make a change in the community. This is the first big award I’ve ever had, and it’s a way to recognize my parents, my mentors, and the City of Little Rock who are investing so much time in me.”
In addition to her full-time job as the city’s multicultural liaison, Abarca has been a full-time student at UA Little Rock since 2023. She graduated from Hall High School as her class’s salutatorian during the height of COVID and attended the University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College before joining the City of Little Rock.
“Amber Jackson, my supervisor and mentor, told me about the social work program and that it was a good university,” she said. “My advisor at UA Little Rock is May Atkins, and she is very organized. The teachers are so sweet, and I really love the topics. They are very understanding with matching your full-time job with your schedule. My experience with the teachers, classes, and work has been really good at UA Little Rock.”
Professors in the School of Social Work have been impressed by Abarca’s hard work, dedication, and the impact she is making on the community.
“Mariana’s work with the City of Little Rock is just one example of her dedication to the community as well as to the discipline and profession of social work,” said Dr. Laura Danforth, co-director of the School of Social Work at UA Little Rock. “Mariana’s professors have not only always been impressed by dedication to her coursework as a BSW student, but also her willingness and excitement about applying what she is learning in the classroom to her field work as well as her current role as a multicultural liaison for the City of Little Rock. She is already an asset to the field of social work, and we consider ourselves lucky to have her enrolled in our program.”
