Rising Stars: Meet Alondra Lara of La Habra

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alondra Lara

Hi Alondra, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was just a kid living in the San Joaquin Valley before I came here. I grew up in a small city in Fresno County called Sanger. It wasn’t like any city that’s around here. There were no 10-story buildings or bustling streets. You were thirty minutes from the nearest mall or decent restaurant. There wasn’t much else to do other than visit a friend, shop at Walmart, or go to Sunday mass. It’s a small, close to rural, area surrounded by never-ending blossom fields and orange groves.

As a kid, I never put much thought into the possibilities outside of the valley. I knew for sure of one thing, and that’s my love for drawing. I can’t pinpoint what started it all but it’s difficult to remember a time in my life when I didn’t have that itch to create. By then I didn’t know what to do with it in the long run. I just knew that I loved drawing.

Disney animated movies have always been a pillar in my life. Classics such as Pinocchio, The Little Mermaid, and Hercules never failed to bring a smile to my face. I’ll always remember the amazing storage cabinet in our living room that was filled from top to bottom with Disney VHS tapes. What I came to realize about all those movies on that shelf is that they were created by people. People who were able to build a connection with millions all over the world using their characters. They were able to reach a little girl from the Central Valley with their stories. That’s what spoke to me the most.

From then on I had it settled that I would use my art to bring people together. That’s what I’ve been doing ever since.

In high school, I made sure to take advantage of every opportunity to improve my art. Despite the limited options, I was always eager to learn something new. Deciding on what college to attend was the real challenge for me. I knew I had to leave the valley, and choosing the right path meant more than a career risk. It felt like my entire hometown was watching my every decision. Afterall, I was the first in the family to leave.

When I decided to attend Cal State Fullerton, it was at first a calculated choice. I was drawn to the successful alumni who had made it in the industry, the renowned animation program, and the recognized clubs. However, as I approach graduation, I find myself appreciating the friendships I’ve made during my college years. I never anticipated becoming the vice president of the Pencil Mileage Club, being part of a student-run animation studio, or creating cherished memories with such amazing people. Whatever the future holds, I’m just glad that I was able to find others like me.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The career path I decided on isn’t one that everyone knows about. That includes the people in my hometown.

From my preteen to teen years, I started to set myself apart from the kids my age, in both hobbies and appearance. I was a tomboy with the shortest hair out of all of the girls. Even though I wasn’t the most social kid, I was never shy about my passion for art. But with all of these differences, it didn’t help out with my “cool” status.

The struggle to find support was never something new but that fact hit me the most during my high school years. I’ve always had a small group of friends to trail around but I never felt that I was completely in with them. I was unsure of who I could trust and open up to about my interests and myself. I wanted someone who would listen without judging or laughing at me. It was tough to hear my friends talk about their lives and goals, knowing that if I shared mine, I wouldn’t get a positive reception.

Even outside of school, It wasn’t easy to face a crowd that did not have much faith in you. Even in my late teens, I still felt like I had never had the chance to talk about my goals to anyone. Even if I did, I’m not sure if I could get honest words of support. To these people, my choice seemed more like a faze that would one day drift away. I was lucky enough to have a few that had my back and that little encouragement meant the world to me.

I do wish that more had my support back when I lived in Sanger. Maybe it was all just tough love, but I never understood why someone would have no words for a person who’s so passionate about something they love. A “you can do it” or “I believe in you” was something I wish I got more of back home.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’ve been devoting my time to storyboarding. I learned about the position when watching the behind-the-scenes of my favorite cartoons like Adventure Time and Steven Universe. People with these titles specialize in constructing a rough layout of a shot, scene, or sequence for an animated piece. Ever since learning about it, it’s a position that I’ve dreamt of getting. Creating these “blueprints” means so much to me because it’s the start of the creative process. It’s what the rest of the team will reference when moving forward.

While attending Cal State Fullerton, I’m finding ways to improve both inside and outside of class. Besides my personal work, I found opportunities to collaborate with my friends on entirely new projects. Being part of the animation studio they created has given me a greater understanding of the industry pipeline and helped me find my rhythm working in a large group.

After everything that has happened so far, I am most proud of the growth I have made since coming here. Not only do I feel confident in storyboarding, but I am also confident in character design, script writing, and becoming a leader. I never think about my accomplishments that much, but seeing what I am typing out for Voyage has made me appreciate how far I have come. It reminded me to give myself a little pat on the back every now and then.

What sets me apart from the rest is my journey. Not just mine but my parents as well. I’m the daughter of a Guatemalan mother and a Mexican father. They have done everything from being hotel cooks in Beverly Hills to picking grapes in vineyards, to make it to where they are today. And before them, there were my ancestors’ feats. There are many reasons to doubt a goal but that never stopped my people. I am the descendant of trailblazers and fighters and I know whatever they had in them, is still with me.

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
My ambition has always been a significant factor in all of my accomplishments. It’s what makes me feel more like myself today. At first, it was only about my passion for art. I loved drawing, so my ambition was to keep doing it. As I grew older, that drive worked its way into more complicated subjects. It wasn’t just about my passion; it revolved more around my entire self. It’s the ambition to discover who I am and what I’m doing this all for that made me contemplate how to overcome obstacles and uncover new aspects of myself. I didn’t know it when I was a kid, but now that I recognize that I have this quality about myself, I’m excited to see where else it will take me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://alondrajlara1214.wixsite.com/alondra-lara
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/minjuli.art/

Image Credits
Felix Nicol