UA Little Rock and Seis Puentes Partnership

September 15-21, 2025

By Angelita Faller

Building Bridges through student internships

For Jennifer Camacho, a junior double majoring in nursing and Spanish at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, the opportunity to intern at Seis Puentes has been nothing short of life changing.

“I would describe getting the opportunity to be an intern at Seis Puentes as one of the biggest highlights of my life,” Camacho said. “When I was offered the internship last December, I recall feeling as though it was an answered prayer. I could see so much fear in the Hispanic community that raised me, and I felt useless because I thought I couldn’t do anything to ease the fears and worries. When I accepted the internship, I saw numerous ways I could help.”

At Seis Puentes, a nonprofit based in North Little Rock that serves Hispanic and immigrant families, Camacho translated at parent-teacher conferences, created flyers, helped plan and teach English classes, and supported senior citizens in the community.

Her favorite memory came during one of those parent-teacher conferences.

“As I sat in the hallway waiting for Hispanic families to walk by, I would ask them, ‘¿Necesitas un intérprete?’” Camacho said. “I still remember seeing their children’s faces relax at the fact that there was someone who could help their parents understand. That was like a full circle moment because I used to be the 9-year-old girl with immigrant parents who didn’t speak or understand English, trying to explain to my parents what I couldn’t even understand.”

Camacho was so inspired by the experience that she returned this fall for a second internship with Seis Puentes. She says the lessons she’s learned go far beyond translation or tutoring.

“I learned how to listen to people who couldn’t speak for themselves, or couldn’t understand, how to communicate more effectively, and how to be more outgoing and confident in what I know,” she said. “The biggest thing that my mentor, Raul Fernandez, taught me was that being bilingual was like a superpower, which I am very privileged and lucky to have.”

The Seis Puentes internship program began during the spring 2025 semester through a partnership with UA Little Rock’s Spanish program and University Career Services, which provides funding for students to earn stipends while completing community-based internships. What began with just four students has already grown to a total of 14, with interns assisting in English and Spanish classes, food drives, health and legal workshops, and youth summer camps.

Dr. Rex Wilkins, assistant professor of Spanish, said the program demonstrates the power of experiential learning.

“This internship demonstrates that learning a language is more than a resume builder. It bridges gaps and connects people in meaningful ways,” Wilkins said. “This has become a model for what experiential learning should look like: students using their education to directly serve the community.”

For Seis Puentes, the students’ support has been transformative.

“Seis Puentes is a small nonprofit with only one full-time employee,” said Raul Fernandez, a member of the nonprofit’s board of directors and a UA Little Rock graduate. “Having interns really strengthens our work by bringing more hands on deck to do anything from administrative work to client services to managing our social media.”

Students say the impact goes both ways. Lizbeth Renteria, a social work major who interned over the summer, said the program strengthened her calling to help others. 

“I worked at a youth summer camp and taught English as a second language,” she said. “It showed me how much of an impact consistent support can make. Translating for families reminded me how language can divide us but also connect us. This experience shaped me as a future community leader.”

Ragen Hodge, a senior biology major with a pre-med focus and student-athlete, used her Spanish skills to translate for patients at the Hope Clinic in Oklahoma this summer. Hodge knew she wanted to become a bilingual medical professional, but this was her first time accompanying Spanish-speaking patients through the complexities of a U.S. healthcare system.

By the end of the summer, she had guided dozens of patients through everything from filling out paperwork to talking with doctors about diagnoses to picking up prescriptions at the pharmacy. One patient, a woman suffering from lupus and kidney failure, especially touched her.

“I was nervous at first, but when I met her and her family, that nervousness disappeared,” Hodge said. “I stayed with her through the entire process, helped entertain her children while she waited, and made sure she understood her care. As they were leaving, her little girl turned around and blew me a kiss. I almost cried. That moment showed me the power of language and compassion in healthcare.”

For Eric Brown, executive director of Seis Puentes, the partnership with UA Little Rock has brought fresh energy and expanded the nonprofit’s reach.

“These students dedicate themselves to community service, and their contributions make a real difference in the lives of our neighbors,” Brown said. “This program bridges the university and the community in powerful ways. It’s relatively new, but it’s already making an impact. I’m excited to see it grow and to give students long-term resources that will help them in their professional and personal journeys.”

Michelle Marshall, career specialist with University Career Services, emphasized that internships like these not only serve the community but also set students up for future success.

“By funding internships like this, we’re able to provide access for students who might not otherwise have these opportunities,” Marshall said. “They gain skills, confidence, and real-world experience that will help them in their future careers.”

For Camacho, the experience connects her family’s story with her own career goals. She hopes to graduate in May 2027 with an associate degree in nursing and a bachelor’s degree in Spanish before pursuing work as a bilingual registered nurse.

“It means so much to me, coming from a Hispanic family, that I now get to help people who were in my position when I was young,” Camacho said. “This internship has shown me that I can make a difference.”  

Photo Captions:

1. UA Little Rock students share their summer internship experiences at Seis Puentes, where they assisted with language classes, food drives, and youth camps. From left are Ragen Hodge, Jasper Kline, and Lizbeth Rentería.

2. Summer interns at Seis Puentes meet with the new fall cohort to share insights. From left are Raul Fernández, Jasper Kline, Ragen Hodge, Louise Hobby, Lizbeth Rentería, Liliana Grace Vallejo, Dr. Rex Wilkins, Dhen Shirley Terre, and Jennifer Camacho.

3. UA Little Rock students who interned at Seis Puentes. From left are Raul Fernandez, Seis Puentes board member; students Ragen Hodge, Jasper Kline, and Lizbeth Rentería; and Dr. Rex Wilkins, UA Little Rock assistant professor of Spanish.

Photo Credit:

Photos by Benjamin Krain