Her Story
About Berenice
Berenice Garcia Barahona is a Mortgage Loan Officer with AmeriSave Mortgage Corporation, licensed in 10 states and serving customers across multiple regions while working remotely from her office in Russellville, Arkansas. She brings more than 12 years of banking and financial services experience, having begun her career in banking at age 16. Her career includes approximately four years as a Bank Manager with Arvest Bank, where she developed extensive experience in branch leadership, sales, customer relationships, and financial services. Prior to joining AmeriSave Mortgage, she also worked as a Mortgage Loan Officer Assistant with Bank of England Mortgage and held positions with Conagra Brands and Regions Bank.
Barahona holds an Associate of Science in Early Childhood Education and Teaching from Arkansas Tech University and a high school diploma from Danville High School in Arkansas. She attributes her professional success to her drive for achievement, continuous curiosity, and willingness to challenge herself and the status quo while maintaining strong personal and professional integrity. She believes in treating people as individuals, listening carefully to understand their needs, and approaching every interaction with honesty and authenticity. Her commitment to truly understanding others is reflected in one of the most valuable pieces of career advice she has received: listen to hear, rather than simply listening to respond. She applies this philosophy when working with clients to better understand their circumstances and identify meaningful solutions.
Beyond her professional responsibilities, Barahona is committed to serving her community as a CASA volunteer with the 5th Judicial District. Appointed by the court to advocate for children placed in foster care, she dedicates her time to meeting with children and helping ensure their needs and interests are represented. She also encourages young women entering the industry to stand their ground, speak up, ask questions, and remain curious. She believes it is important to recognize when a workplace does not value an individual's contributions and to have the confidence to explore new opportunities when necessary. Through her career and community involvement, Barahona demonstrates a strong commitment to personal growth, advocacy, integrity, and service.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Berenice
01What do you attribute your success to?
Her hunger for success, continuous curiosity, and desire to challenge herself. For her, success is not defined primarily by money or material possessions; it means being happy with what she does, enjoying her work, continuing to learn, and constantly asking herself, “What can I accomplish next?” She believes opportunities come through learning, asking questions, challenging the status quo, and consistently doing the right thing.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Listen to people to truly hear and understand them, not simply to respond. She learned that people do not always need an immediate solution or advice; sometimes they simply need someone to listen. This approach has helped her as a manager and continues to help her in her current mortgage role by allowing her to understand clients’ needs and identify meaningful solutions.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Stand your ground, speak up, ask questions, and remain curious. She encourages women to have a voice and confidently represent who they are while continuing to do what is right. She also believes women should recognize when an environment does not appreciate or value them and understand that it is okay to explore other opportunities where they can thrive, feel respected, and be themselves.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of her biggest challenges was leaving a company where she had worked for seven years after unsuccessfully pursuing a mortgage position internally three times. Leaving meant stepping outside of a comfortable and supportive environment and facing uncertainty, including having to pass the SAFE exam for her new mortgage career. With encouragement from her husband, she decided to take the risk rather than continue wondering “what if.” Her current opportunity is to continue developing in the mortgage industry, strengthen her knowledge, and grow her pipeline. She shared that within roughly a month and a half of taking mortgage applications, she had already developed a pipeline of more than $3 million.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
She values treating people as human beings rather than focusing on what they can do for her. She believes in genuinely appreciating people, listening to them, understanding their needs, and asking what she can do to help. Honesty and authenticity are also important to her, and she believes that when you give to others without expecting something in return, positive things naturally come back to you.
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