In honor of their accomplishments in their respective fields and their service and support of the university, Cal State Fullerton recognized four Distinguished Alumni and two Honorary Alumni on Feb. 24 as the 2024 CSUF Vision & Visionaries Award recipients. Established in 1994, the biennial awards are the highest honors presented by CSUF to alumni and community supporters.
Jose Lara, who graduated in 2002, was already in the financial services industry when his higher education journey brought him to Cal State Fullerton. But Lara acknowledges that his time as a Titan has been integral to his 40-year career, including his current role as president of SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union.
In recognition of his service and commitment to those in Orange County and beyond, and for his continued support of CSUF and the Titan community, Lara has been named a 2024 CSUF Vision & Visionaries Distinguished Alumni award winner.
Lara grew up in Los Angeles, and his early career path was in computer operations at a local hospital. But the inability for the hospital to accommodate his college schedule forced him to pivot to a job with a financial institution. His computer background paired with his aptitude for technology and numbers was a great fit in that setting, and he adapted quickly.
“I really enjoyed helping people with their finances,” Lara said. “It was something I really was passionate about.”
Working full time while attending college full time meant it took a few additional years for Lara to earn his bachelor’s degree in business administration from CSUF. But the ability for Lara to keep his full-time job during the day and attend classes in the evenings at CSUF’s College of Business and Economics were what made pursuing a degree possible. And the courses he was taking at school were applicable in real time to what he was experiencing in his job.
“The Cal State system is really about applied education, so I found what I was learning to be extremely relevant to what I was doing,” Lara said. “All those courses helped me understand the world that I was in. It wasn’t theoretical. It wasn’t nebulous. I really enjoyed it because I could apply it.”
Lara also experienced the dedication of the CSUF faculty, and he never felt slighted for working full time while attending school.
“They really expressed their care for their students, and they were very interested in your learning,” said Lara. “They facilitated my ability to finish my degree. I really believe that. That’s why I’m so loyal to Cal State Fullerton.”
Lara joined SchoolsFirst FCU (formerly Orange County Teachers Federal Credit Union) as a manager, and his career trajectory saw him move up the ladder to vice president, senior vice president, executive vice president and chief operating officer before he took on the role of president in May 2022. He discovered early on that his goals aligned well with the credit union’s mission.
“I found a lot of purpose in the credit union movement, and I enjoy working at the credit union because of its mission and its role in our economy,” Lara said. “I never imagined I would stay at this credit union for that long, but this credit union has given me so much opportunity. And I won’t deny that the degree helped me.”
Lara has managed many divisions of operation over his time at SchoolsFirst FCU, including Member Experience, Information Technology and Strategic Initiatives. With the goal of expanding membership outside of Orange County, he also oversaw the 2008 name change and rebranding from OCTFCU to SchoolsFirst FCU, which now operates statewide. During the conversion, he leaned on his contacts at CSUF for guidance, including former CSUF President Milton Gordon.
Lara credits the faculty at CSUF for recognizing his leadership abilities and for instilling in him the confidence that he now carries in his career. As a first-generation American and first-generation college graduate, CSUF meant access to higher education.
“I didn’t grow up in an environment where I thought that kind of access was available to someone like me,” Lara said. “It really boosted my self-confidence and self-worth. It led me to take greater risks in my job and be secure in that.”
Lara and his wife, Priscilla, have made it a priority to give back to CSUF, specifically to the university’s Guardian Scholars Program in support of current and former foster youth. He makes time to help prepare the next generation of Titan business graduates by mentoring them in skills such as resume preparation, interviewing and business-luncheon etiquette. He also is a board member emeritus for the Cal State Fullerton Philanthropic Foundation.
Lara was in “disbelief” when notified of his CSUF 2024 Vision & Visionaries Distinguished Alumni Award and is grateful for the opportunity to thank his family and CSUF for all they have done to help him realize his career success.
“I’m part of a bigger tribe who really understands what Cal State Fullerton did for them,” Lara said. “I’m a big believer in the Cal State system, especially Cal State Fullerton, because of the variety of access they give to the community … I’m very proud to say that I am a Titan.”
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