My Story: Israel Alvarez

Alumnus and current student Israel Alvarez is on a mission. Graduating last December, he is a first-generation college graduate and now enrolled as an MBA student pursuing the accountancy track. Currently employed with MUN CPAs, Alvarez is a tax associate, a job he started in January, just days after earning his bachelor’s degree in accounting. At MUN, his department is also home to other Jessup graduates trained in the value of principled servant leadership.

As a former Kern scholarship recipient, the Elk Grove native learned about Jessup through his church. Enrolled at Sacramento State during the pandemic, Alvarez was struggling academically with classes fully online. “Before I came to Jessup, I was starting to wonder if accounting was for me,” he said. “Once I transferred to Jessup, my grades improved drastically and I started to perform better in school.” He credits his professors who demonstrated they were invested in his ability to learn the material. “Professor Bramow’s Financial and Managerial Accounting courses changed everything for me,” he said. “The coursework clicked and that really helped my confidence.” 

Other notable courses during his undergraduate experience included his Operations Management course that helped him acquire a keen approach to detail, but his favorite was his Old Testament class taught by Professor Matt Boch. “That course really brought the Bible to life for me,” he said. “Jessup impacted my faith journey because as a Christian, I’m more confident in what I believe and why I believe it.”

Recently emerging from the grueling rigor of working through his first tax season, Alvarez put his attention to detail to good use working six days a week to meet the infamous April 15 deadline for his clients. He was up at 6am and in the office by 7am to start a 12-hour day. “I had a very strict routine,” he said. “I’d work eight hours, hit the gym for an hour and go back for another four hours, come home and study for my MBA program and do it all over again the next day.” 

Despite his rigorous schedule, Alvarez finds time to serve his church where he led a series on biblical finances geared for students in high school. “I taught about the importance of understanding how to use credit cards, starting savings accounts, Roth IRAs or even making early investments in retirement accounts,” he said. “It was cool to introduce these topics to these kids and for some of them, it was the first time they ever heard it.” Ultimately, Alvarez would like to give back to his community by providing various tax services to those facing unique hardships or those who can’t afford it.

On track to complete his MBA this December, Alvarez will once again be crossing the Jessup commencement stage for the second year in a row. With his MBA in tow, he anticipates being well prepared to sit for his CPA exam. “I’m excited about what my future holds,” he said. “My education has prepared me well.”