Joanna Grana-Maciel of Conway grew up with parents who valued education, and the first-generation college student credits their influence for her accomplishments.
“They’ve always pushed me to do great things,” Grana-Maciel said. “They’re my No. 1 supporters. They always pushed me to pursue higher education, but also to do what I love.”
She graduated in May from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway with a Bachelor of Science degree in family and consumer sciences and a minor in communication.
“My whole family came to my graduation and were very proud of me,” she said.
They have something else to be proud of, too. Grana-Maciel was hired in June as resource development director for the United Way of Central Arkansas.
The 23-year-old, who grew up in Fort Smith, is the oldest of four children. Her parents work at Simmons Foods in Van Buren and previously worked at a factory in Alma that closed.
“They’re very hardworking people, so they quickly found other jobs,” Grana-Maciel said. “They learned to budget money carefully and to work together moving forward. We’ve had our hard times, but we always have to keep moving forward … and it’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
After graduating from Fort Smith Northside High School, she decided to attend the University of Central Arkansas. She received the Arkansas Challenge Scholarship, with additional UCA funding.
“”When I first toured UCA, it felt like home,” she said. “I loved their mission … vitality, adversity and diversity. They helped me out not just academically but as a professional, and that’s something that makes UCA distinctive from other colleges.”
Grana-Maciel said she recalls “being around campus and realizing you are on your own, although I’m not alone in the experience. I met other first-generation Hispanic students who were learning to budget … and not relying on family like you would if you were at home, but becoming more independent.”
She lived on campus for two of her four years at UCA, then in an apartment with friends.
“Being on campus helped me be more involved, … and teaching myself time management was the first step to becoming independent,” she said.
Her uncle, Mauricio Maciel, also motivated her and helped her navigate college, she said. He graduated in the 1990s from a college in Ohio.
“He was my ideal role model,” Grana-Maciel said.
“Initially, I wanted to be a teacher, but going through college, I realized God had other plans,” she said. “I always wanted to be a guidance counselor. … Plans change, and I don’t regret it for a second.”
Throughout college, she worked different jobs, including a two-year stint as a teller at First Security Bank in Conway.
“I loved it. It was a great way to first connect with different people, as well as connect with others in the bank,” she said.
She was active on campus, too. Grana-Maciel is one of the members of the Latina-based sorority on campus, which became a colony last year.
“I’m a proud member of Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha Inc.,” she said, adding that she’s the financial adviser for the graduate alumna chapter.
She was in the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences at UCA, serving as treasurer and vice president; now she’s second vice chair for the Arkansas affiliate of the association.
Grana-Maciel said she will speak for the United Way campaigns and help plan events.
Being bilingual was not the reason she got the job at the United Way, she said, but it was a bonus.
“The plan is also to be a liaison with the Hispanic community; the Hispanic community is growing,” she said. Grana-Maciel said she also enjoyed helping customers at the bank when there was a language barrier.
She said her mentor, Ericka Gutierrez, the Hispanic/Latino Outreach Initiatives coordinator at UCA, told her about the job.
“Joanna is an exceptional person,” Gutierrez said. “She has an incredible work ethic. When she was a student at UCA, a lot of times she would hold down two jobs and take classes full time and also be involved on campus. I feel like that in itself says a lot.”
She said Grana-Maciel was involved in the Latino Student Organization, of which Gutierrez is the adviser.
“I also understand what it’s like to be a first-generation college student,” Gutierrez said, “so if she had a question, or I could help in any way or just give her a word of encouragement, I would.
“She’s a kind person,” Gutierrez said. “She is the kind of person who would go above and beyond to help others, so I think she’s going to be a great fit for the United Way.”
Grana-Maciel said she knew something about the United Way of Central Arkansas when Gutierrez told her about the job.
“I did my research,” Grana-Maciel said. “I knew it was a nonprofit organization … that helps fund several programs I’ve actually volunteered at — Bethlehem House, The Salvation Army,” she said. “I knew they advocate a lot for the needs the community has and that [the United Way of Central Arkansas is] growing.”
Maret Cahill Wicks, executive director of the United Way of Central Arkansas, said Grana-Maciel has been a great addition to the team, and being bilingual is a bonus.
“I”m very happy that Maret has me on board with what’s to come in the United Way of Central Arkansas,” Grana-Maciel said.
Wicks said Grana-Maciel will be instrumental in developing relationships in the community with younger people and will work with customers, as well as those in the Latino community.
Grana-Maciel is contacting companies to participate in the Day of Caring on Sept. 21, either with projects or to see if they have volunteers. “We already have 32 projects from area nonprofits and schools,” Wicks said. Volunteers will serve at several sites, including the Conway School District and the Conway Human Development Center.
“I’ll be here every step of the way with everything the United Way of Central Arkansas is doing,” Grana-Maciel said.
Wicks said Grana-Maciel will also help with the new Financial Opportunities Center of the United Way of Central Arkansas that will have its grand opening Nov. 3.
The United Way is writing grants to help establish the center, Wicks said, and the center will offer classes taught by financial partners, such as banks and certified public accountants, as well as United Way of Central Arkansas employees.
“They can help low-income families get all the education they need,” Wicks said. “What it’s really going to become is that our partners will refer some of our families who come very often to get food boxes and get rent assistance because we see there’s a need there for them to better manage their finances.”
Grana-Maciel started with the agency Aug. 4, and the first project she worked on was Stuff the Bus, where the community donated school supplies to be distributed by the United Way of Central Arkansas. “It gave me an idea of how a lot of the other events are going to be run. It felt rewarding to see how many people in the community were giving to the students in central Arkansas,” she said.
She said that for many in the Hispanic culture, “We don’t like to ask for help, but sometimes we need to. But where do we start? Who do we ask? I want to say, ‘Hey, the United Way does help.’”
Grana-Maciel knows that getting support — from family or the community — can make all the difference.
Senior writer Tammy Keith can be reached at (501) 327-0370 or tkeith@arkansasonline.com.