Jesse Alvarez Receives Prestigious Breslin Award for 2024

Jesse Alvarez, Law Clinic Manager, was among six MSU support staff members who received the 2024 Jack Breslin Distinguished Staff Award earlier this month.

Alvarez has been in his role for 13 years. Known for his dedication, kindness, and humor, Alvarez manages daily MSU Law Clinic operations and assists with projects involving space, systems, and services.

In the award submission, his colleagues wrote:

“For the purposes of the Jack Breslin Award, I challenge anyone to find someone who more deeply embodies the “Spartan Spirit” than Jesse Alvarez. Jesse does his work with a deep love for Michigan State University and the people who come here to study and work.”

“Jesse is that one-in-a-million staff person that ends up being the glue holding everything together. He is truly a friend and confidant to everyone he meets—faculty, staff, and students alike. He always goes above and beyond to help, often setting aside what he was working on to help. He is not simply the Law Clinic’s office manager, he is the heart of our operation, and he is bettering the lives of all of us.”

“In everything he does, Jesse is mission-driven. He asks himself not whether a task is part of his job but how he can improve the services, both legal and educational, that we seek to provide. He thinks creatively about how to accomplish goals. His understated manner belies his passion for our work and the indispensable role he plays in making it happen.”

Watch the MSU Law faculty and staff surprise Jesse with the award announcement.

Other recipients of this year’s award include Ken Beer, Sarah Evans-Cain, Mark Fellows, Amanda Goll, and Darwin Meirndorf.