Isaac Alferos
2021-22 Cal State Student Association President
Campus: Cal State Fullerton
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration
As Cal State Student Association president, Isaac Alferos represented the needs of nearly half a million CSU students. But in addition to advocating for additional resources for those students, he also inspired many of them to take up the torch.
One of Alferos's key strengths is bringing people together and uplifting them, according to long-time friend and classmate Dixie Samaniego, who was recently elected CSSA Vice President of Systemwide Affairs for 2022-23. “Isaac is the reason I went to
Cal State Fullerton, and why so many of my peers and I decided to join student government," she says. "He makes people see their value."
As a freshman, Alferos became involved with CSUF's
Male Success Initiative, which empowers men of color to achieve their potential. He says he found the program provided the support he needed to pursue his passion for social justice in higher education. "The CSU brought me an education unlike any other, one in which mentors invested in me and faculty and staff worked tirelessly to see me succeed," Alferos says.
He was later appointed to the California Student Aid Commission by Governor Gavin Newsom, where he advocated for affordable higher education for all Californians. He found his calling and encouraged his fellow students to do the same.
“Isaac is amazing at organizing and building communities to make real change, and he single-handedly encouraged and mentored the next two years of student leaders at CSUF," says Samaniego. "He made us believe we could enact change and helped many of us overcome Imposter Syndrome."
Alferos also served as a research assistant and project lead for CSUF's
Center for Research on Educational Access and Leadership (CREAL), a
Panetta Congressional intern and a CSSA social justice and equity committee member. He was later elected CSSA president, which exposed him to systemwide, state and federal higher education policymaking.
“If you have the absolute privilege of meeting and speaking with Isaac, there's this warmth you can just feel," says Samaniego. "I am most proud of him for his courage—to be authentic; to be genuine; and to love."
Alferos plans to continue working on higher education policy and wants to eventually earn a Ph.D. in social policy. He recently published his first book, "Prayer Song: Love, Healing, and Ancestry."