Local Girl Makes Good

Imagine a little girl whose favorite childhood activities were centered around people, and money, and keyboards, pushing the keys over and over to add and subtract numbers with a strong sense of satisfaction. According to Carrie Morales, Fremont Bank’s Hayward Branch Manager, the handwriting was on the wall: She’d have to be a banker.

Hired as a bank teller soon out of high school, Carrie Morales has had a wonderful 28 year career, rising to Customer Service Representative, Supervisor, Assistant Branch Manager, Branch Manager, and even Area Manager—where she supervised several branches within a region.

Parallel to her love of numbers and money has been her desire to help people. Thus over the years, she has served on the Chamber of Commerce Boards in both Union City and Hayward.

She has been a classroom presenter for CHOICES, a program aimed at stimulating kids to think about their future when in junior high—and make the right choices. She’s also volunteered with S.A.V.E. (Shelters Against Violent Environments) where she has learned how to calm domestic violence situations.

Now a new challenge has appeared in her life. She has been named to the Board of Directors for the Hayward Education Foundation, and H.E.F. is fortunate to have such an intelligent, hardworking, caring lady on board.

Carrie has many interests in her life: her son, singing, card games, being outside in Yellowstone or on the ocean. She has taught herself Spanish, and dearly wants to visit Hungary and Poland to trace her family roots.

But her overwhelming desire with H.E.F. is to use her people skills and business contacts to raise enough grant money to fulfill all the teacher requests. When Hayward teachers request an H.E.F. grant to fund a wonderful classroom project, Carrie knows that those who benefit are the students. But when H.E.F. funds run short, some projects go unfunded. Who loses? The students.

So, having long ago graduated from play money to the real thing, this Newark native is determined to use her professional skills to enhance education for the students of Hayward. The students and the Hayward Education Foundation, are lucky to have her.

Recently, Carrie was selected as one of the 2017 "Hearts of Hayward" for the Hayward Education Foundation. This special award, given in partnership with the City of Hayward, pays tribute to so many volunteers who make significant and selfless contributions to the Hayward community! The Annual Volunteer Recognition and Awards Dinner, which will be held on October 10, 2017, has served as an opportunity to thank the most dedicated community members in the city. Carrie has a "CAN DO" spirit that has helped boost moral, serves as the Board Secretary, and has been instrumental in the organization's fundraising efforts!