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“Carlos personified the ideal that, if life rewards you with success, then you give back,” said �ʼһ��� President Doug Hicks. “He saw, through his daughter’s college experience, �ʼһ���’s ability to transform lives, and he knew firsthand the obstacles to succeeding in an unfamiliar land. He ensured that international students at �ʼһ��� would have the support that would open to them the kinds of opportunities that our nation afforded him.” 

Alvarez’s journey is legendary in the beer industry. He grew up in Acapulco, Mexico, where his father was a beer distributor, and he learned the basics of business from working on one of his dad’s trucks. 

“While everyone is there, out there at the beach, by the pool,” Alvarez told a Texas television station in 2021, “that was torture.” 

In 1986, he and his wife and daughters emigrated to Texas, where he was instrumental in introducing Corona Extra beer into the United States. He established his own company, The Gambrinus Company, and became the official importer for Corona. Eleven years later, it was the No. 1 imported beer in the nation—widely regarded as the most spectacular brand success story in contemporary brewing history. He also bought the struggling Spoetzl brewery in Shiner, Texas, that produced Shiner beer and strengthened the craft brewer until it was distributed in all 50 states. 

Alvarez’s daughter, Malú, graduated from �ʼһ��� in 2002, and he devoted his energy to supporting the college from her first day on campus. His family’s name is etched on the Alvarez College Union, for which he and his wife, Malú, provided the signature renovation gift. 

They also created the Alvarez Scholars Program, the Alvarez Access Fund and the Alvarez Guarantee Fund, distinguishing �ʼһ��� among colleges and universities for such comprehensive support of international students. His backing ensured that international students enjoyed the support they needed for equal access to opportunities such off-campus programs, internships and career searches. The international student population at �ʼһ��� has doubled since his efforts began. 

“The staff and resources … will help [international] students seize and weave together those experiences, to stand out as candidates for a dream job or grad school," he said in 2018. "It just takes a little more creativity and a little more work than the typical domestic student."