Each year, the Alumni Association’s Distinguished Alumni Awards brings alumni, faculty, staff and supporters together to celebrate the accomplishments of our exemplary alumni. This year’s outstanding alumni honorees represent CSUN’s core values of service, leadership, academic excellence and collective pride in their alma mater.
Carmen Estrada Schaye ’75 (Sociology); M.A. ’79 (Education Psychology Counseling), M.A. ’85 Chicana/o Studies – Mexican-American Studies), a distinguished leader whose public service includes roles with the U.S. Department of State, the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, and multiple Los Angeles County commissions, has excelled as an educator, administrator, and innovator, founding award-winning student success programs and serving in influential civic and political leadership positions. Today, she leads Historic Home Restorations and co-owns Grant Rivers Productions, continuing her legacy of impact across education, business and the arts.
Julio César Ortiz ’00 (Journalism and Speech Communication), an award-winning Univision reporter since 2001, built a groundbreaking career in journalism after founding the CSU system’s first Spanish-language newscast at CSUN. He is the recipient of 23 Emmy Awards, six Associated Press Writer of the Year Awards and multiple other top honors. As part of his commitment to CSUN, he has created a scholarship supporting student storytellers and forged a unique path as both a journalist and licensed psychotherapist serving the mental health needs of the Latino community.
Richard Schweitzer ’87 (Accounting Theory & Practice and Finance), has spent four decades transforming financial services organizations, most notably as co-founder and senior leader of Aristotle Capital Management, where he earned industry honors including Deal of the Year and Private Company CFO of the Year. He oversees major strategic and financial operations across a national team and is a dedicated CSUN alumnus and community leader, playing key roles on the college advisory and university foundation boards, bringing his expertise in finance, accounting, and strategic growth back to the institution that helped shape his career.
The evening started with Charles Humphrey ’86, the President of the Alumni Association’s Board of Directors, welcoming the over 400 attendees and highlighting the strength, pride and unity of the CSUN community.
Stressing the importance of building connections and supporting student and alumni success, Humphrey praised the CSUN community’s commitment to creating “opportunities for mentorship, advocacy, career development … building synergy [and] sparking collaboration, to ensure that the Matador spirit continues to thrive long after graduation.”
CSUN President Erika Beck commended the Alumni Association and the impact of Matadors “at home and across the world.”
The honorees acknowledged CSUN’s influence on their lives and career trajectories. In an inspiring reflection on leadership, service and the transformative power of education, Carmen Estrada Schaye celebrated receiving the Distinguished Alumna Award as an affirmation of the values that have guided her from CSUN classrooms to global boardrooms. Above all, she championed today’s students, urging them to let compassion and integrity guide their path in a rapidly changing world and thanked CSUN for empowering generations of dreamers and changemakers.
Julio César Ortiz recounted his journey from an impoverished childhood to becoming a proud CSUN alumnus shaped by integrity, service and an unwavering belief in possibility. In a powerful moment, Ortiz asked his father to stand and be recognized as his inspiration, saying, “My father only went to school up to the third grade. But his actions and determination have been the greatest teacher in my life.” As he celebrated mentors, friends and fellow alumni, he reminded the audience that ambition became vocation only when rooted in service. He urged the audience to continue helping build futures with faith and courage, and to always support student success by believing in their dreams and aspirations.
In a heartfelt tribute to the power of education, mentorship and intentional action, Richard Schweitzer reflected on his journey from a hardworking CSUN student to an industry leader whose success was built through discipline, partnership and purpose. He highlighted the inspiration he draws from CSUN students who, as he said, make “the conscious choice to invest in their education and their futures.” His message underscored that real achievement stems from collective effort and deliberate decisions. He considered the Distinguished Alumni Award as less about personal accomplishment and more about the CSUN community that shaped him.
As in the past, the Awards also featured the CSUN mission of excellence in education by highlighting the exemplary work of our faculty and students. Silvia Fernandez (Department of Mathematics), highlighted CSUN’s role in allowing her to build inclusive, relevant and empowering pathways in mathematics. Laura Bousman ’25 (Special Education Credential), shared her journey as she transitioned from a decade in film, television, and full-time parenting to a purposeful new path in special education. CSUN’s welcoming environment, supportive faculty and essential financial support transformed her return to school into the beginning of a new, meaningful career.
Throughout the evening, each story served as a reminder of the university’s mission to shape individuals who make positive impacts in their fields and in their communities, and celebrated CSUN’s values and commitment to our students and the community at large.
You can find pictures and videos from this extraordinary evening online. Learn more about the awards by visiting the CSUN Alumni website.
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