Jacopo Demarinis, one of our Spanish minors and an intern for Immigration Services of Champaign-Urbana (ISCU) during the spring 2020 semester, received the Student Leadership Award, one of the C-U Immigration Forum Welcome Awards, at the awards ceremony and celebration held on Sept. 19.

 “Jacopo was an outstanding example of what we hope to see in this new generation of students who really give back to the community,” said ISCU Executive Director Ben Mueller. 

Jacopo helped with the ISCU Family Liaison team and the Immigrant Services Store, among other areas. “There was nothing that I ever asked him to do that he wouldn’t do,” said Mueller. “He had such a terrific attitude. And I like to point out that he is the son of immigrants himself.”

 Jacopo was nominated based on his work in SPAN 232 “Spanish in the Community” during the spring 2020 semester. The course, which requires 28 hours of community service, is taught by Ann Abbott, Associate Professor of Spanish and Portuguese.