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Jose Molina, shown with his wife Laurie, applauds before accepting the Jacoby Award on Thursday.<

The Dashew International Center for Students and Scholars honored a leader in the Spanish-speaking community at their largest fundraising event of the year Thursday night.

Jose Molina, chairman of Continental Broadcasting, received the 2003 Neil H. Jacoby Award for fostering international business and multi-cultural awareness.

The Mexican-born Molina, who earned a mathematics degree from UCLA, said he likes supporting the Dashew Center and what it stands for.

“(Hosting international students) fosters and develops a better relationship with every nation in the world,” Molina said.

“The role and programs of the Dashew Center have never been more important,” he said.

Molina himself was in a similar position as the international students the Dashew Center supports, as he immigrated to the United States at the age of 16.

In accepting his award, he encouraged other immigrants to pursue their dreams, like he did.

Molina is a pioneer in initiating Spanish-language radio broadcasts of U.S. sporting events, both on the collegiate and professional levels. By starting networks and negotiating rights for various sporting events across the Southwest, Molina enabled Spanish-language broadcasts for everyone from Los Angeles Lakers fans to Fiesta Bowl enthusiasts.

He has also secured broadcasting rights for his company in several major Latin American countries.

In the world of academia, Molina currently serves as the vice chairman of the board of directors of PROFMEX, an international consortium for research on Mexico. In addition, Molina is the chairman of UCLA’s Council on Mexico.

As a prominent member of Southern California’s Spanish-speaking community, Molina was asked in 2002 to help the Mexican government with the creation of Los Angeles’ own “Instituto de Mexico.”

Molina is also the founder of one of the first national Hispanic consumer trade shows in the country and on the board of directors for the Los Angeles Police Department’s DARE program and the Boy Scouts.

Executive Vice Chancellor Daniel Neuman had nothing but praise for Molina when he presented Molina with the Jacoby award.

“His life is a success story,” Neuman said.

The Dashew Center provides support for international students at UCLA through a number of programs, including orientation sessions, English language instruction and tutoring.

Jan Doak, president of the Dashew Center board of directors, said they hoped to raise about $200,000 from the fundraising dinner.

“It’s our main source of funding,” Doak said.

Annabelle Stevens, a member of the board of directors, said many of the tables at the dinner are purchased by large corporations, some of which are friends of the recipient and some of which donate to the Dashew Center every year.

Thursday’s dinner was MC’d by actress Ada Maris, who is currently starring on the Nickelodeon series “The Brothers Garcia.” Other prominent guests included last year’s Jacoby award recipient Winston Doby and the consul generals from Spain and Austria.

Other guests at Thursday’s dinner included Dashew Center volunteers and international students who attend UCLA.