Business Leadership Award – Shawarma Joint
Community Impact Award – The Refugee Center
Immigrant Leadership Award – Efrain Gaspar
Student Leadership Award – Flor Quiroz
The Claire Szoke Distinguished Service Award – Pat Nolan
Student Leadership Award -
A student who has shown promise this year as a leader in immigration or demonstrated commitment to serving or working with immigrants or refugees, locally or abroad.
Business Leadership Award - A local business (immigrant-owned or not) that contributes to the local immigrant community through advocacy, hiring, donations, or in-kind services, all of which contribute to the economic development of Champaign County.
Community Impact Award -A community-based organization, non-profit, public sector institution, or local government which demonstrates exceptional commitment to serving and advocating for local immigrants in our community. The nominee may also be considered for adopting specific policies or initiatives in response to the growing immigrant population.
Emergent Leader award - An individual who has in the last few years been a regular contributor to advancing the cause of immigrants through service or advocacy, in the local community, in their work sphere, or in their interactions with the state of Illinois. Someone other than a first generation immigrant, his/her/their contributions may be as a volunteer or as part of their job. This person is a promising new leader who has emerged quite recently, rather than one who has contributed over the years. (This person has been active over the last year or two and has not yet become a pillar, as those in the Claire Award.)
Immigrant Leader Award - An immigrant individual who has been a strong leader of the immigrant community for their particular immigrant community or for the larger immigrant community.
The Claire Szoke Distinguished Service Award - An individual in Champaign County who has strongly contributed to the well-being of immigrants over the years. Like Claire's consistent drive towards justice, this individual has continued to stand up for immigrants in belief and action. Claire's work spanned her involvement with El Centro de los Trabajadores, being a local leader in the Sanctuary Movement, and helping found the CU Immigration Forum.
Unlike the other awards, nominees from previous years may be considered, since this award considers long-standing contributions.
-This category considers long standing contributions (with the exception of those who no longer living here or who are already winners in this category); multiple nomination text is aggregated rather than edited
