Eliana Ibarra
Program Manager – Civic Impact, Student Life and Civic Engagement
For Eliana Ibarra, service did not begin with a job title or recognition. It began with something she knew she could give: her time.
Ibarra, program manager for Civic Impact in Student Life and Civic Engagement, was recently recognized by Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis during Hispanic Heritage Month for her service to students and the community.
The recognition holds special meaning for Ibarra, a first-generation college student, former English learner and young mother who spent much of her childhood and teenage years in Jalisco, Mexico.
“This recognition is deeply meaningful to me because it represents much more than my professional accomplishments,” Ibarra said. “It represents the journey that brought me here.”
That journey includes Río Hondo College. As a student, Ibarra became an inaugural member of the Government Relations Ambassadors for Community Events (GRACE). She initially volunteered to strengthen her resume and transfer applications, but the experience changed how she viewed service.
“I was at a point in my life where I felt like I did not have much to give,” she said. “What I did have was my time.”
Today, Ibarra helps students discover the same power in showing up for their communities. Her work has expanded opportunities in civic engagement, leadership and climate action, including partnerships with Amigos de los Rios, TreePeople and CultivaLA. She has watched students who once hesitated to lead go on to organize service projects, speak before groups, mentor their peers and turn those experiences into career opportunities.
Her work in climate action and youth engagement also led to her appointment as a Youth Climate Commissioner for Los Angeles County’s First District.
For Ibarra, her Mexican American identity remains central to how she serves students. Growing up, she remembers hearing “ni de aquí, ni de allá,” meaning “neither from here nor there.” Today, she embraces a different perspective: “soy de aquí y de allá,” or “I am from here and from there.”
She hopes students understand they do not have to leave their identity behind to succeed.
Their culture, experiences and stories, she believes, are strengths they can carry with them as they step into leadership and create opportunities for those who come next.