Hello All,

I just thought I would send you all off an email and thank you so much for one of the most memorable weeks of my life! (not an overstatement by any means)

Honestly, at first I didn’t know what to expected from the week – but I can tell you that it far exceeded what I could have ever expected. It’s really hard to put in words what the week really meant to me because there was just so much going on that it was hard to take in all at once. The night I got back in New York I went to Central Park for a long walk and really tried to take in and reflect upon the week. When I got back to my office that evening I had my email opened up, ready to send you all off an email thanking you, but I couldn’t put into words how to thank you all.

Furthermore, I think one of the most memorable moments of my time in Toronto was when we were at the round table discussion with Her Excellency when the Canadian senator told the crowd how proud he was to be Canadian after visiting the North. To me, it hit home what this whole program was about – showcasing Canadian talent, knowing that one day you will most likely see these 20 individuals leading in different sectors around the country. Being recognized as one of Canada’s Top 20 Under 20 made me proud to be Canadian – and having the chance to share that experience with 19 other top individuals across the nation only made the experience better. In addition to that I had a great time meeting with mentor and hope that we will be able to pursue a great friendship into the future. More than anything else all I want to do is hear about this man’s story and learn about his life. The man in looking for a friend to pass along his stories and legacy and so happy that I been partnered with him!

In addition to this, the staff throughout the week were amazing – making sure we were on time and kept us in line, but at the same time ensured that we got the most out of our experience. I will stop blabbing now but want to really sincerely thank-you all for everything that you did to make this a memorable experience – ya’ll are the ones that deserve an award!

Make sure to keep in touch – and if you guys need any help with high school talks or promoting the program feel free to give me a call at anytime!

Regards,

Mark Blackwell

2008 Top 20 Under 20 Award Recipient