Young Alumni Medal from the University of Waterloo!

Hi friends,

I've just been given word that I am allowed to mention this online now... and here we go!

I am insanely excited to announce that I have received the 2012 Young Alumni Medal for the Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Waterloo!!!!! Ahhh!!!!!!

This is incredibly exciting, unexpected, and overwhelmingly super awesome. Thank you so much to the Dean of Math and the committee, and to the mystery person who nominated me. I had no idea I was even in the running for this, and it was a very welcome and truly magnificient surprise.

I'll be heading back to Waterloo in September to receive the award. Thank you very much to everyone who has helped me achieve my level of happiness and appreciation for my life - from my family to my close friends, to teachers and mentors and colleagues, all the great people along the way who saw someone in bright shoes and gave me the benefit of the doubt. :) Thank you to my parents and sister Norma for instilling in me the ideal to not only look out for yourself, but to do your very best to encourage those around you as well.

Thank you to those kind people over my past 30 years who met this unusually enthusiastic and overexcited guy and rather than seeing immaturity and chutzpah, saw through to my dedication and passion and understood where the energy and intention was coming from. Those people really went out of their way to help me carve my own path in this world, and have guided and encouraged me through thick and thin.

For those interested, here are the requirements for the medal:

The Faculty of Mathematics Young Alumni Achievement Medal was established this year, 2011, to acknowledge the outstanding accomplishments and achievements of young alumni of the Faculty to their communities and professions.

The award will examine the accomplishments of the nominee based on one the following criteria:

• Demonstrated business, entrepreneurship, mathematical and/or management accomplishments
• Demonstrated volunteer leadership and humanitarian endeavours
• Demonstrated accomplishments in the pursuit of academic careers or research

One medal will be awarded annually to an individual who:

• Has graduated within the last 10 years from the Faculty of Mathematics
• Is 35 years of age or younger
• Has achieved notable level of success base upon, but not limited to the above criteria, including activities that inspire their peers, other young alumni, recent graduates, and current Math/CS students