Alex Mares ’05

Why this Organization/Cause is Important to You or the Nominee
After LMU, my then-roommate, Roberto Martinez, and I discovered a passion for trail running and ultra marathons. We crewed and paced for each other during races, and those experiences taught me valuable lessons about endurance, teamwork, and self-reliance. I thought those lessons were mine alone — until I joined the Monterey County Search and Rescue Team in 2021.

I’ve had the privilege of helping lost individuals reunite with their loved ones, assisting during the Pajaro Floods in March 2023, supporting airlift operations for Big Sur residents stranded by a landslide, and participating in numerous other missions that have tested me both physically and emotionally.

This organization is important to me because it represents service at its purest — neighbors helping neighbors, often in their most vulnerable moments. It reminds me that community is built not only through words, but through action and compassion.

Length of Service with the Organization/Cause
Four years

Share Advice to Guide Students Hoping to Pursue a Career with Social Impact or in Nonprofit Industries
Any person should take time to discern their strengths and weaknesses. If you align your goals and strengths, there is nothing you can’t do. Honestly, I have not really considered the impact of what I do, because it’s not just me, we are a team. Our team is comprised of sworn deputies and volunteers from all areas of life that just want to act so that others may live. Reflecting on my hopes for SAR is that anyone can see themselves taking up role in their community. The role doesn’t have to be SAR, it can be a neighborhood bookshelf or walking your neighbor’s dog. I simply want to leave the world better than I found it and this is one of the ways I am hoping to accomplish that goal.

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