Lynwood High School Class of 2007 graduate Lidia Garcia knew from an early age that she wanted to be an animator, drawing pictures before she spoke her first words. Arriving at Lynwood High as a sophomore, Garcia made great strides in her development when she enrolled in Advanced Placement (AP) Art Studio and formed a lasting bond with her instructor, Luis Vega.
Now a professional storyboard artist on the Hulu animation series “Solar Opposites,” Garcia made a virtual return to Vega’s classroom when she hosted a video conference for students in December, using personal animation to share her journey as a first-generation college graduate and detail how she used networking skills to secure employment at top Southern California animation studios.
“I wanted to give back to the community that helped me grow into the artist I am today,” Garcia said. “It is important to show the next generation that regardless of the circumstances one might have, one can achieve their goals with hard work and perseverance.”
AP Art Studio was a pivotal turning point for Garcia; a class that established for her the building blocks of creating art, exploring mediums unfamiliar to her, like charcoal and watercolor, and supplying a well-rounded perspective of the work it would take for her to succeed in a career in animation.
Garcia’s story resonated with the art students, especially when she described her family’s struggles during the recession of 2008 when her parents – both Mexican immigrants – lost their jobs and house and had to move to Colorado to find work. Garcia stayed behind to continue her education.
“As someone who loves animation and how it works behind the scenes, it was exciting to hear Lidia’s experience, especially since she is a Lynwood High graduate,” Lynwood High senior Ana Herrera said. “Lidia’s presentation opened my eyes to a story artist’s world through techniques, skills, and her personal experiences. Her story has inspired me to consider following a career path in animation.”
Though Garcia had her heart set on attending Cal Arts, where she made many friends while attending the college’s Summer School for the Arts program for high school students, she decided to enroll at East Los Angeles College (ELAC), which had a respected animation program, was affordable and allowed her to hold a part-time job.
At ELAC, Garcia widened her perspective, taking a Life Art class, visiting museums and galleries, and for the first time, showcasing her art. Garcia found work as a program assistant at a local museum, which introduced her to members of the fine art community.
Garcia transferred to Cal State Fullerton, which helped her to expand her portfolio to include caricature and cartooning, make new friends and eventually get hired by a USC art student to assist on an animation project, her first paid job as an animator. Garcia graduated in 2016.
After graduation, Garcia received an internship from Nickelodeon and worked as an office assistant on “SpongeBob SquarePants.” Garcia moved to Warner Bros. and began to develop her storyboarding skills – sketching out scenes that detailed the script action and what camera angles should be used.
“It is so important for my students to hear Lidia’s story because they can see she is just a kid from the neighborhood who had a dream and worked hard to achieve it,” Vega said. “Lidia was honest about her struggles and the fact that there are no guarantees you can make it professionally. But she also made clear that every student has an ability to take something that doesn’t seem possible and make it possible, through hard work and dedication.”
After the presentation, Garcia hosted a Q&A with the students while inspiring them to pursue their own path to success.
“Lynwood Unified is guided by a culture of high expectations that is essential to preparing students to succeed in college and career. We are justifiably proud of our Advanced Placement program, which has been a springboard to success for many students, including Lidia Garcia,” LUSD Superintendent Dr. Gudiel R. Crosthwaite said. “We hope that Lidia’s story inspires other students to follow their dreams and create their own success story.”