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Alumni
The Don Behind the Performance
When Eric Garcia ’11 first arrived at the University of San Francisco, he planned to study visual arts. What he discovered instead was an expansive creative community that would shape the trajectory of his life and career.
“At USF, I was exposed to everything from sociology to dance,” Garcia said. “I took a dance class for the first time there.”
That first dance class became a career spanning nearly two decades across performance, choreography, arts administration, and community-based artistic practice. Today, Garcia is widely recognized in San Francisco’s creative scene as both an interdisciplinary artist and by the drag persona Churro Nomi — a bold, theatrical presence that blends dance, storytelling, and queer performance into immersive community experiences.
Garcia credits much of his artistic foundation to the mentorship and encouragement he received through USF’s Performing Arts and Social Justice program. Particularly, from faculty mentor Amie Dowling.
“She showed me what showing up for students in a non-transactional way looked like,” Garcia said. “USF encouraged us to think about what kind of transformative experiences we wanted to create.”
As a student, he participated in creative dance films at Alcatraz Island, taught seated dance classes in senior centers, and worked in correctional facilities, including San Bruno Jail.
Those experiences fundamentally changed how he understood art and its role in society.
“It opened up my understanding of what art can be,” Garcia said. “USF gave me the capacity to design a type of learning for myself that was deeply connected to the city.”
Garcia’s connection to San Francisco continues to define his work today. He describes USF as a place that encourages students to engage with the city rather than remain inside a campus bubble.
This year, Garcia returned to campus for the Performing Arts and Social Justice program’s 25th anniversary celebration, contributing to a semester-long residency through the Anne Getty Institute of Art and Design. For Garcia, the moment felt deeply personal.
“When I stepped onto campus 20 years ago, the program was still in its adolescence,” he said. “Coming back now, after 17 years of working professionally in the dance field, feels incredibly powerful.”
The anniversary production brought together music, dance, theater, and collaborators from across the USF community, a reflection of the interdisciplinary spirit that first shaped Garcia as a student.
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Outside of USF, Garcia has also built a vibrant creative identity through Churro Nomi, the drag persona he began developing in 2015. What started as experimentation with lip-sync performance evolved into immersive monthly productions and an artistic platform centered on queer maximalism, accessibility, and social justice.
As San Francisco celebrates Pride Month, Garcia says he feels honored to contribute to the city’s long legacy of queer artistry and activism.
“I’m deeply inspired by the ancestors who carved out this city’s queer history,” Garcia said. “What matters most is building communities where people know there’s a home for them.”
For current USF students pursuing the arts, Garcia hopes his journey serves as an invitation to dream bigger, participate fully, and create meaningful impact.
“Your artistry is much bigger than your thoughts,” he said. “It’s your impact that matters.”
Explore more alumni stories and see how USF graduates are making an impact through art, advocacy, and community leadership.
