National University professor Dr. Clara Amador-Watson was presented the Thomas Mesereau Humanitarian Award on Saturday, February 23, at the Centre at Sycamore Plaza in Lakewood, California by famed attorney Thomas A. Mesereau. The occasion was the black tie n-action Family Network Fourth Annual Community Awards Banquet.

In presenting the prestigious award named in his honour, Attorney Tom Mesereau, known for his pro bono (free) representation of indigent death row clients in the deep-south and for his winning high profile cases like Michael Jackson, Robert Blake, Mike Tyson and others, said he was honoured to present the award to Dr. Amador-Watson. He called her a noble humanitarian who has traveled the world and continuously supported orphan children in China, India and Guatemala. Pointing out that Dr. Amador-Watson has adopted one orphaned infant from China, Ahmara Jia Yi, in the midst of the SARS epidemic five years ago, he told the audience that she has recently completed the process to adopt a second daughter, Velmar, also an orphan in China. Attorney Mesereau pointed out that Dr. Amador-Watson generously donated Summer Camp Scholarships for Compton area children whose parents were unable to afford it. He told the audience that Dr. Amador-Watson lived and worked in Spain, England, Ireland, France and Israel, and consulted and lectured in India, Singapore, Lithuania and China.

A tearful and humble Dr. Amador-Watson told the capacity crowd that she was accepting the award in honor of her late father, a medical doctor, who she said, was the true humanitarian. Dr Amador-Watson said her father gave his life treating patients in her native country (Spain) even if they did not have the money to pay. "He spent his every day of his life as a true humanitarian," she said.

Dr. Amador-Watson, the 2007 recipient of the prestigious Professoriate Award from National University, is also the faculty-in-charge of the latest teacher internship program in the state of California through National University.

The Community Awards Banquet was attended by many dignitaries of the community, including Los Angeles County Sheriff Dr. Lee Baca, National University Associate Vice President Dr. Maggie Yadegar, Compton Assistant City Manager Rico Smith, Los Angeles Unified School District Director of High Schools, District 7, Dr. Russell Thompson, Radio personality and Community Activist Mollie Bell, California State University Long Beach Professor Dr. Ssendi Ssensalo and others.

Dr. Amador-Watson has been an advocate for language minority students and noted that she earned a PhD in a second language as part of her commitment to helping language minority students. She has dedicated her life to empowering individuals through education, self-resprect and self-reliance.