ITALY — Members of the Italian Parliament awarded Thomas Oswald Young IV, of Rockport, with a medal during a ceremony in the Italian Chamber of Deputies October 8, 2015.

Each year, the Italy-USA Foundation, under the auspices of the president of the Italian Republic, recognizes those individuals who reflect the Foundation's promotion of relations between the two countries. Along with the America Award, given to well-known individuals, the Foundation awards medals to three students of American universities.

"John Cabot University Vice President and Dean of Academics Mary Merva nominated the students as they represent the next generation of Americans who will be building bridges across the Atlantic with Italy," according to a news release.

Young, a student of economics and finance at John Cabot University, has been living in Rome for two years. When he is not at his studies, he can be found tutoring mathematics or simply on the streets of Rome, listening and learning about the Italian community, according to Young's self-profile attached to the news release.

Young started his higher education pursuits at the Savannah (Georgia) College of Design in 2010, studying the fine arts that interested him in high school. Yet, a microfinance class he took during a Semester at Sea program through the University of Virginia completely altered Young's focus.

"I found the class incredibly inspiring as it demonstrated how knowledge of economics and finance could be used to help people," Young said.

He then enrolled in John Cabot University, settling in Rome, immersing himself in the Italian culture, and gaining a "deep appreciation of the nuances of this wonderful country's culture and people," he said.

2015 winners of the America Award included racecar driver Mario Andretti, Vice President of Bulgari Nicola Bulgari, Italian Minster of Education and Research Stefania Giannini, president of the Iacocca Foundation Kathryn Iacocca, president of RAI television Monica Maggioni, president of Geox Mario Moretti Polegato, astronaut Paolo Nespoli, actress Gabriella Pession, violinist maestro Uto Ughi, and director of Radio Capital Vittorio Zucconi. The America Award was also conferred to the memory of singer Frank Sinatra, according to the news release.

The other two students recognized alongside Young are Samantha Abear of Antioch, Illinois, and Stefania Rojas of Italy, Peru and the U.S.