With a journey that brings together acting, arts education, and community impact, Ashlieya Mariano is transforming creativity into a force for belonging, growth, and social change. In the interview, the actress reflects on the connection between artistry and purpose, her work through Dance Masters Performing Arts Studio and Builders Of A Better World, and her commitment to helping young people and families build confidence, empathy, and leadership through the arts.
Your journey brings together acting, performing arts, and community work. How would you describe the connection between the artist you are and the social mission you are building?
To me, they’re inseparable. Art has never been just about performance—it’s about not only understanding what it means to be human, but also, through story, providing different ways of navigating the human experience. Whether I’m acting, writing, or teaching, I encourage people to explore their own sense of empathy, courage, creativity, and connection so as to exercise their truest free-will and thrive in the lives they choose. My social mission is simply an extension of that belief: arts aren’t a luxury—they’re one of the most powerful ways we develop confident, compassionate, emotionally intelligent human beings.
As the owner of Dance Masters Performing Arts Studio, you have spent years helping young people build confidence, discipline, and self-expression. What moves you most about that work of mentorship?
Watching a young person—or any person really (I always say “we shouldn’t give up on the adults”)—discover who they are, live in their joy, and then expand as a person is intoxicatingly delightful. I’ve seen shy children find their voice, anxious students step confidently onto a stage, and young people who doubted themselves begin believing they’re capable of far more than they imagined. Those transformations are never just about dance or theatre—they’re about identity. Identity is self-belief. I hope people of any age can come to know and understand that magic and miracles are available to them. Having the privilege of witnessing the growth of others is what has kept me passionate for so many years. It helps to keep me growing and expanding myself.
What inspired you to create Builders Of A Better World and expand your mission beyond the studio?
After years of working with children and families, I realized the need was much bigger than one studio could meet. There are countless young people who never have access to high-quality arts education or meaningful social-emotional development because of financial, social, or institutional barriers. I wanted to build an organization that could remove those barriers and bring transformational programs into schools and underserved communities. Builders Of A Better World exists because every child and adult deserves the opportunity to discover their potential.
Your nonprofit focuses on social-emotional learning, creative arts education, and leadership development. Why are those three areas so important in the growth of children and young people?
Those three pillars reinforce one another. Social-emotional learning teaches young people how to understand themselves and build healthy relationships. The arts develop creativity, resilience, communication, and confidence. Leadership teaches them that they have the ability and responsibility to positively influence the world around them. “Be the change,” right? Together, they don’t just prepare children for careers; they prepare them for a life in which they are more likely to thrive in health, wealth, and love.
You clearly believe that the arts can be a real tool for social transformation. In what ways have you seen that happen concretely in the lives of the people you work with?
I’ve watched students who struggle with anxiety begin speaking confidently in front of hundreds of people. I’ve seen children who have felt isolated find belonging through theatre and dance. I’ve watched young people develop discipline, emotional resilience, and lifelong friendships through creative collaboration. The arts give people a safe place to practice courage, empathy, communication, self-discovery, and problem-solving. These are skills that extend into every part of our lives. When people change, so do their communities.
Looking ahead, you are also inviting others to get involved through volunteering and donations. What do you wish more people understood about the impact of that kind of support?
Every volunteer, donor, mentor, and supporter becomes part of another person’s story. A single scholarship can open doors that change the trajectory of a young person’s life. One mentor can become the adult who helps a child believe in themselves. People often think meaningful change requires enormous resources, but lasting impact is built through many people contributing what they can. Together, small acts create extraordinary outcomes. Transformative major donations help us reach more people, but our work is sustained by every person who chooses to give what they can. We are genuinely grateful for every level of support.
Your path from performer and educator to nonprofit founder is deeply inspiring. What kind of legacy do you hope to build through this work?
The legacy isn’t my name; it’s the people who contribute and join this collective mission. I want thousands or millions of young people and their families to grow into confident, compassionate, emotionally intelligent leaders who then go on to strengthen their own extended families and communities. If our work helps create generations of people who know their worth, use their creativity, solve problems positively and constructively, and dedicate themselves to making the world a little kinder than they found it, then I will consider my life’s work to be the most incredible success. In many ways, I already do.
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