For nearly 50 years, Cal State Fullerton political science alum Raúl Tapia has met and worked with U.S. presidents, politicians and world leaders.
“The debt I owe, the debt I can never repay, is the debt to Cal State Fullerton,” said Tapia, who received CSUF’s President’s Award as the outstanding graduate of the Class of 1972.
After earning his bachelor’s degree, Tapia went on to graduate from Harvard Law School and also holds a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Tapia, the son of a seamstress and steelworker, is the first in his family to graduate from college. Seven years after graduating from CSUF, Tapia became a White House staffer under the late President Jimmy Carter.
The Washington D.C.-based attorney and chairman of Tapia & Associates served as a deputy assistant to the president for Hispanic Affairs. As the liaison to the Hispanic business community, his work focused on issues such as economic development, education and employment.
“I am proud to hold degrees from Harvard. But Harvard didn’t take a chance on me; Cal State Fullerton took a chance on me,” Tapia said.