Today we’d like to introduce you to Juan Avila.
Hi Juan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Bakersfield, CA, the largest city in Kern County, approximately one-and-a-half hours north of Los Angeles County. I am the proud son of campesino (farmworker) parents, Maria and Arturo, and the oldest of my two siblings; a younger sister, Elva, and a younger brother, Jesus. I grew up in South East Bakersfield, by Martin Luther King Jr. Park, a disinvested neighborhood with a long history of high crime, high poverty, and all of the social factors associated with such challenges. Although we never saw ourselves as poor, our family was low-income, and was impacted by alcoholism and domestic violence. Despite my father having a 6th grade education and my mother a 3rd grade education, they consistently drilled into us the importance of an education, and how they wish that they would have had the opportunity to continue with school. They would tell us that a higher education will provide us with a path to a better life. I remember asking my dad if he felt like he had accomplished the “American Dream,” and he responded that he did go through everything he did, and is not doing everything he is doing to achieve the “American Dream” for himself, he’s is doing for his children to achieve the “American Dream.” From an early age I realized that the best way to honor my parents for all of the sacrifices, was to do well in school and aim for college.
My dad’s English was very limited, but he knew that math was universal, and from a very early age, he worked on teaching me all of the math he learned. Since elementary, I was so good in math that my teachers would always tell me that I would become an engineer or a scientist. I heard it so much that no one could convince me that I was going to be anything other than an engineer or a scientist. I worked hard in school to make sure I was prepared to for such an educational path and career. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the same reality for many of the friends I grew up with, good kids, overwhelmed by the despair brought about risk factors out of their control. Many of them became justice involved, gang affiliated, or killed. As we grew older, many of my friends that were engaging in negative lifestyles, began to ask me not to hang out with them so much. One reason was that my mother would walk around the neighborhood shouting my name “Juan Manuel!!!” if I didn’t get home in time for dinner, spoiling my friends “fun.” But, the other reason, and I believe the main reason, is that my friends genuinely wanted me to avoid any activities that would prevent me from achieving my goals. I knew that I needed to represent my community in a totally different way, a positive way. I was even more determined to go to college and become an engineer. What I didn’t realize is that there is more to going to college than just making the decision that you want to go to college. Working one summer in the fields also convinced me that going to college was a good idea.
Because my parents were so serious and strict about our education, by default, I was already taking the required classes for a 4-year university. One day, early in my senior year of high school, my god brother asks me what colleges I applied to. I was the first in my family planning to go to college, my parents were definitely unaware of the process, so we didn’t know that you had to apply to colleges and wait to which ones will accept you. I had not submitted any college applications. To add to my anxiety, my god brother informed me that the deadline to apply was in about a month. I asked my god brother which schools he applied to, and the only one that grabbed my attention was California State University, Northridge. My god brother wanted to become an engineer as well, so I figured that I would apply to Cal State Northridge too. A couple of months after the application deadline, the Northridge Earthquake tragedy happened in January 1994. Soon after that, I was so lucky to receive my acceptance letter to Cal State Northridge. It finally became real for me and my parents. Just as unfamiliar my family and I were about the college application process, we were as equally clueless about financial aid. I remember my dad siting me down and tell me that unfortunately I was not going to be able to go to Cal State Northridge. I asked my dad “why?” He responded that one thing he does know is that college is expensive and we definitely do not have the money to pay for it. I told my dad not to worry and that I will speak with my school counselor and see what resources were available to help pay for college. That same week, I went to speak with my school counselor and I asked her if she knew of any financial assistance for college. She looked at me and asked me why I wanted to go to college when I look like a person that likes to work with his hands. POW! I definitely felt that blow. I politely informed her that I had already been accepted to college for electrical engineering, but needed help financially, and if she could not help me to please guide to where I can get help. She directed me to the college advisor, who informed me of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and gave me an application to complete and mail. In 1994, the FAFSA had to be hand written and mailed out. I was super excited that there financial assistance for college existed. My parents and I did our best to complete the application and we mailed out in time. Before college started in the fall of 1994, I received my FAFSA award letter and I only qualified for very little financial aid. We had to apply for student loans to cover the majority of my freshman year expenses. It wasn’t until a senior at school looked over my renewal application for my sophomore year, and we realized that I had completed the initial application wrong. We were not informed nor were we aware of any assistance with completing the FAFSA application in my senior year of high school. With the assistance of the senior, I fixed my application and was able to receive the appropriate funding for my education. Now was I on the path to accomplish my goal of becoming an electrical engineer.
After 4-years as an engineering major, I lost interest in the field and it started to show in my grades. Before things got worse, I decided that I was going to change my major. In college I was involved in M.E.Ch.A (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanos de Aztlan, Student Movement Chicanos of Aztlan) and local Spanish and Chicano music scene. Together with some college friends we eventually formed a Spanish punk band called Mozca; I did the vocals. Now, I did not know how to read music; I did and played everything by ear. Because of this experience, I decided that I would change my college major to music industries studies and seek a career in the entertainment industry. What I didn’t know is that you needed to audition to be able to get into the Cal State University Northridge music program. I signed up to audition for guitar. In front of 3 music faculty, I began playing power chords and jamming out. I didn’t pay any attention the faculty while I was playing, but thinking back, I could only imagine the look on their faces. One of the faculty asked me to stop, and then asked me what I was doing. I informed him that I was playing an original piece. They quickly told me that type of music was not appropriate for these auditions. Acceptable music included classical, jazz, or even Latin jazz. I informed that I didn’t know how to play any of that style of music. They apologized and said that unfortunately, they could not allow me to continue with the audition. I was discouraged, but that didn’t stop me from enrolling in music classes for non-music majors, including a vocal technique for non-music majors’ class. The professor taught the class classical and art songs, proper breathing and support, and proper posture. At the end of the semester, the professor told me that I had a pretty good instrument, and if I had considered being a music major. I informed that I actually did want to enroll into the music program but that I did not know how to read music nor did I have 3 classical pieces for the audition. The professor asked that if he worked with me and taught me 3 classical pieces, if I would addition for voice. I responded that I definitely would. He added that if I get in, to request him as my vocal coach. He helped me learn 3 songs, and I signed up for another audition. Lo and behold, I got into the music program as a music industry major with voice as my instrument. I enrolled in as many freshman level music classes including the University Chorus. Cal State University Northridge had two big choirs, the University Chorus for both non-vocal music majors and non-music majors; and the prestigious Northridge Singer primarily for vocalist and it required an audition. I wasn’t ready for the Northridge Singers; the University Chorus will do in my early stages of the music program.
Right after my first semester as a music major, the Director of the Northridge Singers asked me why I was not in his choir. I informed him that I was in the University Chorus, and that I was not ready for the Northridge Singers. He stated that as a vocal major that I should be in the Northridge Singers and to go and schedule an audition. The day of the audition came. The Northridge Singers Director gave me a piece of music and began playing the piano. Immediately he said, “You missed your entrance! Again!” Again he said, “You missed your entrance again! I’m going to play the four bars before you come in.” The Director began to play, and again, “You missed your entrance! What is going on?” I informed him that I did not know how to read music, so I couldn’t read the music he handed me and know where I came in. He replied that it did not make sense, “How could you be a senior in the music program, and not know how to read music?” Ahhhhhh, it made total sense, I was a senior on paper because I had completed 4-years of engineering and then changed my major to music. The Director thought that I had been a music major for all four years. I explain this to him, and understood why I wasn’t coming in where I was supposed to sing. He played the melody to the vocal line of the sheet music and asked to repeat with the words. We did this a few times. The audition ended with him telling me that I had a pretty good instrument, and that he still wanted me to enroll into the Northridge Singers immediately, but to also stay in the other choir, the University Chorus, because I needed the practice.
On my first day in Northridge Singers, I felt pretty intimidated being in a room with over 70 solo voices. We were all asked to get into our sections. I was a baritone, and I knew where to stand by asking choir members what their section was. The Director passed out the sheet music we were going to be rehearsing. To introduce the piece, he asked each section to sight read a few bars. With the piano accompanist, the Director called on one of the sopranos…impressive. Then he called on one of the altos, equally impressive. Then one of the tenors, wow! And then, the Director looks in the direction of the baritones and calls on me to sight read the baritone line. The accompanist plays, and the Director immediately says “you missed your entrance!” The accompanist played again, and again “you missed your entrance!” Where did I hear this before? Why would he call on me knowing that I didn’t know how to read music? The Director let me of the hook and called on another baritone to sight read the baritone line. I was so embarrassed. I could have quit, but it actually lit a fire under me and motivated me to work twice as hard to learn to read music and learning all of the choir pieces. In a way, I am glad the Director put me in that situation. Although this approach would not work for everyone, it worked for me. I got pretty good at reading music, learning pieces, and eventually secured the only baritone solo in the Bach Magnificat, “Quia Fecit Mihi Magna.” I accomplished my goal, and graduated with a music degree. The Spanish punk days were gone, but I definitely grew in my musicianship. Now I needed to decide what to do with a music degree.
During my last year at CSUN, I interned in a few entertainment businesses trying to decide what career pathway I wanted to take in the industry. I interned at Mitch Schneider Organization (MSO), a premier public relations firm in Los Angeles, and at Kung-Fu Records where I got a taste to entertainment law. From my internship experience, I decided to enroll in graduate school. I just didn’t know if I wanted get a Master’s in Business or a Law Degree. To be prepared I studied for the GMAT, a required test for a Master’s in Business program and the LSAT, the required test for law school. During this time, I was working as a clerk in a law firm in Tarzana, CA. One of the partners of the firm found out that I studied math in college while an engineering major, and asked if I would tutor his son. I agreed. In a conversation with the partner, he asked me about my goals, and I told him that it was between law school and a master’s in business. The partner has a both a law degree and a master’s in business. He encouraged me to pursue a master’s in business stating that it will open many opportunities. He said we already have too many lawyers in this world. I followed his advice and made the decision to enroll into a Master’s in Business program with the goal of working in the entertainment industry and climb the corporate ladder. It was around this time that I also met and started dating Nikki, unaware that she was my soul mate and future wife.
To save money, enrolled in the Master’s in Business Administration program at California State University Bakersfield and move in with my parents while I was in school. My parents still live in the house that I grew up in. It had been ten years since I moved out of Bakersfield. I would only visit during holidays and birthdays. The plan was to go to school for2-3 years and move back to Los Angeles, I did not want to stay in Bakersfield. Plus, Los Angeles is the entertainment capital of the world, there is more opportunity for me there. In 2003, I moved back in with my parents, and started school at Cal State Bakersfield. To help my parents with expenses and earn a little money, I took a job at a local nonprofit providing case management and mentoring services to at-risk youth. I had worked with at-risk youth before through college programs, but this was my first experience working in the nonprofit sector. It wasn’t the greatest experience. I told myself that I would never work in nonprofit. The plan was to finish the master’s program and move back to Los Angeles, work in corporate America, and begin building my wealth. By this time I had proposed to Nikki, she said yes by the way, and she was aware of “the plan.” In 2005, life was feeling overwhelming, I began to feel depressed, and it seemed like my world was caving in. It was in this year that I also had an intimate and deep spiritual experience that lifted the load I was feeling on my shoulders. I began to search for and develop my own spirituality. I graduated with my MBA from Cal State University Bakersfield in 2006.
It was time to start working on my transition back to Los Angeles; follow “the plan.” The grant that funded the nonprofit program I was working under was not renewed. I volunteered to be laid off, thinking that I was going to be moving out soon anyways. I applied to several marketing and management positions in Los Angeles, at this point I was open to working for any major corporation, but the entertainment industry was still the dream. Due to health issues, one very promising position in Rosemead, CA slipped away. I was back at square one. From the time I moved back to Bakersfield in 2003 to the year I graduated in 2006, every morning I would walk out of my parents’ home, stand at the front porch and look at my neighborhood, and I would reflect on how much change could happen in 10 years. It wasn’t good change. It was still part of the 2-mile area in Bakersfield with the most crime and violence, but worse than what I remembered 10 years before. Homes are rundown, graffiti everywhere, individuals walking the neighborhood high out of their minds, a park that was not conducive for positive or family activities, liquor stores everywhere, no signs of hope, no signs of opportunity in this disinvested community. One day, while I was standing and looking at my neighborhood, cup of coffee in hand – I’m a man of faith – I felt God tell me that I needed to stay and help rebuild my home before going out to help rebuild someone else’s home. At that point I realized that one, I was not going to move back to Los Angeles, which did not go well with my fiancé who is from the San Fernando Valley, and two, to help rebuild my community, I would be working in the nonprofit or government sector. Never say never, and so much for the “the plan!” But…this was the point in my life that I discovered my purpose.
My first job after graduating from CSUB in 2006, was with the Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE) as Regional Director in Kern County. PIQE is a national nonprofit organization that provides evidence-based programs to families and schools and enable parents’ capacity to engage in their children’s education and strengthen parent-teacher-school collaboration. My responsibilities included establishing a local PIQE office in Kern County, increase the number of schools and school districts served, hire and develop staff, and oversee all administrative and fiscal operation of the local office. I was also a key staff in establishing an office in California’s Central Coast and in the expansion of PIQE services in Del Norte County, CA. We worked with hundreds of parents per year, informing them how the education system works and how important it is for them to be children’s advocate. After 2-years at PIQE, on August 9, 2008, Nikki and I got married at the Airtel Plaza Hotel in Van Nuys, CA. We made it through an over 5-year long-distance relationship. Nikki understood that she would be moving to Bakersfield, CA. It was extremely rough for her in the beginning, having no community, but over time, she fell in love with Bakersfield’s small city feel, and she gradually built friendships. I worked at PIQE for about 4 and a half years.
In 2010, I took on the opportunity to work as the Director of Nonprofit Outreach for Kern Community Foundation, a foundation founded by local leaders in order to create a permanent pool of charitable funds to support local organizations by encouraging local donors to fund important community initiatives and issue grants to support activities that will have positive impacts on the lives of the residents while bringing community members and leaders together to address social and regional challenges. I learned so much at Kern Community Foundation. I learned how to administer and manage grants, write grants, engage and develop donor relationships, assess nonprofit infrastructure and life cycles, and connect philanthropy to community initiatives. Although this was very valuable work, I did miss the direct service work.
On January 2012, I had the opportunity to work with Kern County 5th District Supervisor, Karen Goh. As a Field Representative I acted as a liaison between Supervisor Goh and various stakeholders, including department heads, advisory councils, community service districts, special districts, but most importantly the residents of the 5th District which included the neighborhood that I grew up in. It was such a privilege to serve as a bridge between the Supervisor and some of the most underserved communities. I learned about local government, I grew my professional network, learned about real issues constituents were facing, and conducted research to support the Supervisor’s decision-making. We did such great work for the 5th District rural and urban neighborhoods. Unfortunately, Supervisor Goh was not reelected and it was time to plan on the next chapter of my life. Prior to being County Supervisor, Karen Goh was the Executive Director at Garden Pathways, a local nonprofit organization that mentors youth and adults, provides summer arts mentoring programs, and operates a state licensed preschool. Karen encouraged me to visit Garden Pathways and learn about the work being done by the organization. She believed that my passion and Garden Pathways mission aligned.
I did just that, I visited Garden Pathways and learned about the mentoring work they do with some of the most underserved populations, and I fell in love with its mission to transform lives from the inside out through loving mentoring relationships. I was hired on January 2013 as Director of Community Relations, and I have been there ever since. A few months later, Karen Goh returned as President/CEO of Garden Pathways. Working together again we planned to scale the organization, reach the most marginalized and underserved populations, and have greater impact through mentoring. It was also that same year that my wife and I experienced another life changing event. We took the responsibility of fostering 4 siblings, Alexis (14), Angel (7), Daryl (5), and Noah (4) on November 10, 2013. We decided to take them all because they were already separated living in different homes, and the likelihood that all 4 of them would go to one home was very slim. Alexis eventually moved to live with her grandmother, but Angel, Daryl, and Noah are with us to this day. Our lives would never be the same. I grew from Director of Community Relations, to Director of Operations, to my currently role of Chief Operating Officer in my 12-years at Garden Pathways. Since 2013, the organization has grown from an average of 35 staff to an average of 85 staff today, and an operating budget of $1.2 million to an operating budget of more than $5 million. We have developed a robust mentoring and case management model to serve justice-involved youth and adults, in-school youth at risk of suspension or expulsion, and individuals at highest risk of being victims or drivers of community violence. We established the first community-based tattoo removal program in Kern County and the first hospital-based violence intervention program in collaboration with Kern Medical. Looking back I realize that everything I experienced in my life has lead me to where I am today. I have the opportunity to develop staff and programs to serve individuals from my neighborhood and similar neighborhoods, and help the rediscover the intended purpose. Now I work on lifting up the work that is happening in Kern County and the Central Valley at the state and national level, and bringing to light the unique challenges that communities in the Central Valley experience. It has been amazing to share life with people genuinely trying to heal from the trauma and adversity they have experienced. It is such a blessing to see hope overcome despair in the lives of hundreds of individuals every year. I feel so blessed and privileged to serve my purpose daily. It is interesting to work for a mentoring organization and recognizing the many mentors that it took to guide me to where I plant my feet today. I will be 49 years old on May 13, 2025, and I have come to the realization that my priorities are God, family, friends, and purpose. Nikki and I have now been married for 16 years, my wife is now a very successful doula and birth educator, she too has found her passion and purpose, and my boys are older; Angel is in the Navy, Daryl is a junior on his way to college to study engineering, and Noah is a freshman. My hope is that they too find their intended purpose and passion.
In February 2013, I was recognized as Lamont Man of the Year 2012, for the community engagement work being done in the small town of Lamont.
In June 2013, I was recognized as one of 20 Under 40 people to watch by Bakersfield Life Magazine.
In January 2024, I was recognized as one of Kern County Hispanic Heroes at the 2nd Annual Tu Voz Tu Heroe Awards Dinner by Lotus Bakersfield Group.
I sit on the board of Youth 2 Leaders Education Foundation, a local nonprofit that provides college application support, financial aid education and support, and scholarships.
These awards are truly for my hard working parents, and for my wife and kids, they have all sacrificed so much.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road at all. Both of my parents were campesinos, farmworkers, monolingual Spanish speakers. They worked long hours, sometimes 4 am to about 6pm. They would get home tired so we had to contribute to the household responsibilities. We also had to translate and interpret for our parents at a young age; and during those interactions, we witnessed discrimination and racism directed toward my parents. Emotionally and mentally that has a toll on a youth.
As I mentioned in My Story, we grew up in a high crime/high poverty neighborhood, so we had to navigate through all of the social issues that come with that environment. We witnessed domestic violence at an early age, and although our family has healed from it, and we are all still together, the trauma had a lasting impact. My father also struggled with alcoholism which contributed to many of the family issues. It wasn’t until he started having grandchildren that he decided to quit drinking and see his grandchildren grow up.
Not understanding the higher education system, the application process, and the finanical aid application process was a big obstacle. I am lucky that the one college I applied to accepted me. My freshman year was all funded by student loans and the little bit of money that may parents could help with, which was actually a lot compared to how much they earned.
My wife and I struggle with infertility. Taking in 4 foster kids while going through treatments, and building our careers was very tough. We worked very hard to help them overcome their trauma, and navigate the many resources needed to help each child’s unique needs.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am the Chief Operating Officer at Garden Pathways, a nonprofit organization in Bakersfield, CA that mentors and case manages youth and adults impacted by the justice system, community violence, and youth at risk of suspension or expulsion. I oversee all organizational operations including strategic planning, fiscal oversight, program development, grant writing, fund development, compliance with all relevant regulations, policies, and procedures, partnership development, staff development, evaluation of impact, and assessing opportunities.
At Garden Pathways we have developed a very robust mentoring and intensive case management model for our most underserved populations in Kern County. We have 7 different programs.
1) Adult Reentry Mentoring (25+ years old)
2) Young Adult Reentry Mentoring (18-24 years old)
3) Justice-Involved Youth Mentoring (12-24 years old)
4) Community Violence Intervention (for individuals at risk of being victims or drivers of violence)
5) Youth Mentoring (for students at risk of suspension or expulsion)
6) Summer Arts Mentoring
7) State licensed preschool and daycare (licensed for 96 children ages 6 weeks old – 6 years old)
Garden Pathways reentry and community violence intervention has been recognized at local, state, and national level. I am known to bring together key stakeholders to address local issues. I am also known to identify and learn from organizations outside of Kern County that are doing great work and implement them in Bakersfield with modifications to meet the needs of those we serve. For example, establishing the first community based tattoo removal program in Kern County, establishing the first hospital-based violence intervention program in Kern County in collaboration with Kern Medical, and developing a strong reentry service and community violence intervention model in Kern County.
What am I most proud of? Work related — I am proud of the programs we have developed. I am proud of the strong relationships we have built with community stakeholders. I am proud of the growth at Garden Pathways. I am proud of the work done to open a Garden Pathways in Delano, CA the 2nd largest city in Kern County and the birthplace of the farmworker movement. I am proud that Garden Pathways has represented the Central Valley in the reentry and community violence intervention services field at the state and national level. I am proud of establishing a $1 million endowment for the organization and supports the future sustainability of Garden Pathways. I am proud of where I am today, as a husband, father, son, brother, friend, and professional.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
A lot of people that work with me do not know that I have a degree in music and that I sang classical music. They also don’t know that I am a very introverted person.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.gardenpathways.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gardenpathways
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gardenpathways
Image Credits
Juan Avila and Garden Pathways
