Julie Garcia’s road from rebellion to redemption

What’s Up Crew founder and executive director Julie Garcia. (Photo by Eric Pierce)

DOWNEY – On any given Wednesday at Columbus High School in Downey, Julie Garcia can be found sitting in a classroom surrounded by teenagers who, not long ago, might have reminded her of herself.

She calls them “the little Julies.”

Garcia, a Downey native and past president of Gangs Out of Downey, knows what it feels like to struggle in school, to feel different and disconnected, and to make choices that lead down the wrong path.

Today, as executive director of the newly formed nonprofit What’s Up Crew, she is using her lived experience to reach students at the city’s continuation campus — a school she once attended.

“I wasn’t a great student,” Garcia said. “A lot of my childhood trauma had a direct effect on the way I learned. I held my emotions in. I was the class clown. Now I know I was looking for help.”

Garcia grew up moving frequently, though her family always landed back in Downey. The instability made it difficult to build lasting friendships. She said she often felt like she didn’t fit in anywhere.

Unlike today’s students, she did not face the pressures of social media. But she still felt the weight of comparison — to friend groups, to expectations, to what she believed she lacked.

“I didn’t avoid going down the wrong path,” she said candidly. “I went down that wrong path.”

Without a mentor and without the kind of emotional support that is more accessible today, Garcia rebelled. She brought chaos into what she describes as a loving home with “amazing parents” who did not know how to help her navigate the turmoil she was experiencing.

What changed was not a single moment but a process.

“I got the help I needed,” she said. “It wasn’t until later in my adult life that I realized I had to start unpackaging the pain and the trauma.”

Through therapy and intentional self-reflection, Garcia began to process what she had long suppressed. With healing came clarity and a desire to give back to the community where she grew up.

That calling led her to Gangs Out of Downey, an organization that has served the city for more than three decades. Garcia learned that during her teenage years, as she was running from home, her mother repeatedly sought help from the Downey Police Department, which connected her to the organization’s leadership.

“When I was invited to come to Gangs Out of Downey, I started feeling like this sounded familiar,” she said. “Come to find out, my mom had been reaching out for help there all along.”

Garcia served as president from 2018 to 2020 and returned to the role again, where she is set to serve through 2027. But she felt called to do more — specifically for youth who, like her younger self, feel overlooked.

Last year, she launched What’s Up Crew, a nonprofit focused on empowering continuation high school students and their families.

The name carries intention.

“‘What’s up’ is a term that never dies,” she said. “And a crew is what you send out when something needs to be taken care of — whether it’s a catastrophe or a celebration. We want to be that crew.”

What’s Up Crew executive director Julie Garcia, Columbus High School principal Dr. Xochitl Ortiz and Columbus High School teacher Bianca Farina. (Photo by Eric Pierce)

What’s Up Crew operates primarily at Columbus High School, Downey’s continuation campus. According to the organization’s brochure, its mission is to inspire and equip youth to create positive change by building strong family connections, encouraging school and community engagement, and helping break harmful cycles.

The nonprofit offers youth mentorship and support, leadership workshops, personal development programming, community service projects, career development guidance and military preparation workshops. It also hosts “Thriving Thursdays,” inviting local business owners, entrepreneurs and community leaders to speak with students.

Garcia meets weekly with the school’s student leadership group, helping them develop communication skills, confidence and a sense of ownership over their campus.

“They don’t even believe they’re leaders,” she said. “So I show them what that means. If someone asks you what you’re going to do different on campus, it’s not a challenge. You’re the leader. Show them.”

Garcia believes continuation students often carry a stigma — one that extends beyond campus and into the broader community.

“There’s a misconception that because we’re in Downey, kids are privileged and don’t have problems,” she said. “That’s not true.”

At Columbus, she said, many students come from single-parent households. Some are being raised by grandparents. Some have parents who are incarcerated. Others are helping to raise younger siblings. Some have come from juvenile hall. Many feel as though they have disappointed their families.

“When a child lands in continuation school, the parent feels a loss,” Garcia said. “My son’s not going to go to prom. My daughter’s not going to have these opportunities.”

That perception is something Garcia is determined to change.

This year, What’s Up Crew is sponsoring Columbus High School’s first-ever prom.

The event will be incentive-based, requiring students to maintain attendance and improve their grades — milestones many are already working toward. Garcia is currently seeking community sponsors, formalwear donations and financial support to ensure that no student is excluded because of cost.

“You need a tuxedo? We’re going to make that happen,” she said. “You need a dress? We’re going to make that happen.”

For Garcia, prom is about more than a dance. It is about restoring dignity and creating a sense of belonging.

The nonprofit also aims to build long-term programming, including after-school initiatives similar to a Boys and Girls Club model tailored specifically to continuation students.

Her vision extends beyond Downey. But for now, her focus is clear.

“Remember Columbus,” she said. “It’s been forgotten for so long.”

Columbus is fully accredited and its students graduate with transferable credits. Garcia notes that the campus has transformed from what she remembers as a more punitive environment into one she describes as supportive and welcoming.

As she drives around Downey and sees murals honoring other high schools, she hopes someday Columbus’ lion mascot will be just as visible — a symbol of pride for students who, for too long, have felt less than.

“My life has been transformed so that I can help transform theirs,” Garcia said. “This isn’t a job. It’s a calling.”

For more information about What’s Up Crew or to support its programs, visit www.whatsupcrew.org or email connect@whatsupcrew.org