Saying Goodbye

Two weeks ago was the last day in our 2006-2007 MC term. As a team, we would like to thank and congratulate each and every one of you who contributed to a tremendous year. Thank you for working side-by-side with us all year and allowing us to make mistakes and learn from you. You have inspired, supported, challenged and encouraged us all year – and for that we are endlessly grateful. The MC experience is one we would never trade for anything. We highly encourage everyone to consider a potential MC term somewhere down your AIESEC careers – the opportunity to gain such responsibility, develop personally and professionally, and build your network of friends and contacts across the country and worldwide is unbelievable. Thank you for sharing this great year with us.

To the new MC team we would like to wish the greatest successes possible. After working with you over the June transition month, we know you have the skills, experience, knowledge, and energy needed to catapult AIESEC Canada to new heights.

Thank you for the incredible experience,
Shirley, Messalina, Tai, Harshitha, John, Carolyn, Jean-Nicolas, Juan and Talicia

Saying Goodbye: Messalina Tiro

Favourite Moment: Gyrations in the board room, gyrations inrestaurants, gyrations in clubs...basically whenever the team gyratedwere the best moments of 0607 experience....aaaaaaaannnnddd GYRATE!!!

Next Steps: An exChange participant (SN-IN-MC-2007-1947) and in Calgary prepping for my CEED to Ghana.

Wish for AIESEC Canada: Perpetual enjoyment in self discovery and continual growth of record breaking legacies.

Saying Goodbye: Jean-Nicolas Denis




Favorite moment: My favorite moments were all the nights we spent in many different bars (like le Sanguinet in UQAM) to meet, eat and watch Hockey Games



Next Steps: Director of External Relations, AIESEC Asia Pacific Growth Network, a body of AIESEC International.

Wish for AIESEC Canada: the thing I wish for AIESEC Canada is that every single person does not forget that AIESEC is fun and simple.

Saying Goodbye: Talicia Correa

Favorite moment: The special moment Harshitha and I shared in Ottawa, it may or it may not have an air mattress involved.

Next steps: AIESEC Canada as VP Corporate Development

Wish for AIESEC Canada: Continuous sustainable growth and a kick ass 50th anniversary!

Saying Goodbye: Carolyn Rush

Favourite moment: Final Banquet at NLDC 2007 - Ryerson. It was sowonderful to celebrate this past year in AIESEC Canada with the peoplewho had meant so much to us - Our team, the incoming MC team, Canada'smembership, alumni, and more. It was a fantastic evening.

Next steps: I'll be spending the summer in Istanbul, Turkey workingas the Team Lead HR/ Agends for International Congress 2007. I'll then head to Manchester, UK for the first of my final two semesters withSFU.

Wish for AIESEC Canada: To continue to grow the way we have thispast year. To embrace and enjoy our 50th anniversary and continue toremember the IMPACT we have on the individual lives we changeeveryday. Dream big and live everyday to your fullest potential.

Saying Goodbye: Juan Panlilio




Favorite moment: NLDC Handover at Ryerson, I was a sobbing mess but I loved it all.



Next steps: Back to Calgary, then off traveling to the Philippines and Tokyo. Looking then for a short-term internship opportunity in South East Asia and finally settling back in Toronto.

Wish for AIESEC Canada: Whatever you do, whatever your path, in AIESEC and elsewhere, seize every opportunity you can as many of the best ones will come along only once.Grow in your experiences and reflect on your accomplishments, find yourself.

Saying Goodbye: Harshitha Gunawardena

Favorite Moment: Lunch with David Hughes. It was at this lunch during our June transition month that it hit me that the work that we do not only makes a life changing impact for the current members and exchange participants of AIESEC Canada but that future generations and alumni are also inspired by the drive, outreach and impact of the organization. It was a great moment to reflect on the year, with no regrets and perfectly content with what we were leaving behind.

Next steps: A Cultural Envoy for Exchange Development (CEED) in India, after which I will return to Calgary to complete my final year of school.

Wish for AIESEC Canada: Continue to prosper, grow and exChange lives. Evolve with time, and don't be afraid to be creative and take risks. But most of all, never forget or underestimate the strength of our impact and relevance in the world.

Saying Goodbye: John Kelly

Favourite Moment: Impossible to choose! I would definitely say one of the most memorable moments from our year was partying with the Board and Roi after our September Board meeting at the house...oh what a night!

Next Steps: President of AIESEC Canada!!!

Wish for AIESEC Canada: That when I'm old and grey, I read an article on the front page of the Globe and Mail stating that AIESEC booming now more than ever. Present in 50 universities and institutes of higher education across Canada, facilitating over 1000 exchanges per year in cooperation with local businesses and universities. Membership is through the roof and we're celebrating our 100th Anniversary!

Saying Goodbye: Tai An




Favorite moment: Year-end Board of Director's Meeting, June 2007; As one team, we felt fulfilled and accomplished with what we were able to achieve in the past year, and being excited about the year to come.

Next steps: I'm leveraging the skills and experiences gained from my MC terms and pursuing a career in finance.

Wish for AIESEC Canada: Have a remarkable year filled with impacts that not only change individual lives, but also strengthen AIESEC Canada's sustainability for another 50 years to come!

Saying Goodbye: Shirley Ma

Favorite Moment: Zomg... this is a tough one. I think I would say that my best memories weren't moments, but the traditions and habits of the year... the WEET WHAT WOOTing, our moments of "And... GYRATE!!!... and pump it! And hump it! And dump it"... "stuffs," "plesk," "guys I've got a question," "MMMMMMMMMMM, "Hi, Colin here." That's the stuff that I look back at most happily. :)

Next steps: ROTTERDAM OR BUST. A year on AIESEC International with a HOLY CRAP WOW top notch team of 21 folks from all over the world, working as Director of Asia Pacific - the highest potential region in the world! (Yeah, I'm already biased, eh?)

Wish for AIESEC Canada: I really feel grateful for my year in Canada. Having been out of the country for almost a month now, I see more and more how the country and AIESEC Canada have impacted me. What's more, I have seen how huge an influence AIESEC Canada has, and has the potential to have, in the community (Canada) and global network. Therefore...whether its from the energy, exposure, and engagement from the 50th, the brilliant ideas to come in the strategic plan, the potential of our huge EP supply, better living up to our global responsibility of finding funding to drive activity in areas of the world that do not have access to such resources, or shedding our ingrained national trait of humility long enough to find a voice in better sharing our successes and failures more with the network...I wish for AIESEC Canada to continue to grow in impact, and also that this impact is taken to ENORMOUS heights. Best of luck! Bisoux!!

2006-2007 Impact

Blue = Foreign interns
Red = Canadian interns
Green = CEEDers
Yellow = Genesis CEEDers

Thank you to everyone who helped create these life changing experiences and lasting impact!

Today's Surprise: Da Li!

Turnover has begun at 30 Duncan Street, a time of reflecting, sharing, learning, and building. Not to give TOO much away about this special time (especially for those thinking of applying for the MC > wink wink nudge nudge<, let's just say that we discuss the past during the early days of transition. Naturally, in so doing, for many, the names of the former MCPs in Canada, for example, are just names.

So imagine everyone's surprise when Da Li popped into the office to wrap up our 3rd day of turnover! :) Thank goodness for AIESEC weddings, because Da was in town for a few days! :)

While there is so much that can be said about that short time we had with Da, simply put, it was the ideal way to kick off this transition process - a demonstration first hand of the power of a even a single simple conversation with an alumnus. Hearing stories from the past, you learn what has and has not changed in AIESEC Canada, and therefore begin to learn what CAN change, what YOU can change, and these stories translate into personal visions for the future!

Thanks Da, both for the visit, and your legacy in AIESEC Canada!

NLDC is just around the corner!

Today our team had pre-pre-conference, running through all of the sessions and content for the conference! We're SUPER pumped and can't wait to see everyone in just 1.5 weeks at Ryerson University! Good luck with exams and see you soon!

Western Presidents Meeting 2007 - Vancouver, BC

"West and Atlantic: We're in the GAME!"

"Mmm...Tomates et riz!!!"

Lunch time!

"Stop right now, thank you very much, I need somebody with a human touch!"

- Marc and Jomar at Kareoke -

Public Service Announcement

Just so you know...Harshitha cries herself to sleep every night because no one comments on our blog anymore. Save the children. Do the right thing!

H4TF and REALITY TV

Today, amongst much yelling and screaming watching the Pussy Cat Dolls' show, we determined that as we H4TF, we should all go on a reality show. Which ones you ask? Well...

Shirley - American Idol
Harshitha - Are you Smarter than a 5th grader
Tai - Who wants to marry a millionaire
Messalina - Pussy Cat Dolls (who wants to be the next one...?!)
Juan - VJ Search
Talicia - Survivor
John - Amazing Race
Jean-Nic - The Bachelor
Carolyn - Canada's Next Great Prime Minister

So folks, remember to keep your eyes and ears open in the coming years as the MC heads for the future in our new roles...

As a side note, we also brainstormed what personalities/roles we would all take on if we were one big (dis-functional) family at a Christmas/Thanksgiving dinner/celebration. The verdict?

Carolyn - The silly, loving grandma who gets drunk during supper!
Messalina - The cool teenager
Talicia - Posh/too cool for family older sister
Tai - Proper aunt
Harshitha - The mum
Shirley - The baby
Jean-Nic - The sweet uncle who buys everyone gifts/candy
John - The Dad
Juan - The kid in the corner who plays video games and doesn't give a shit
Token: Assem as the crazy, drunk uncle =)

CEED Preparation Weekend!

This past weekend CEED Preparation was held in Toronto! All 15 CEEDers for the summer of 2007 were in Toronto on Friday, Saturday and Sunday for a full weekend of cultural and professional preparation for their 2-4 month mandates abroad. It was an absolute blast, and a smashing success! A special thank you goes out to Kelly from the Centre for Intercultural Learning for delivering the cultural preparation sections of the weekend.

Good luck Brian, Rochelle, Richard, Melissa, Messalina, Karrolyn, Layial, Harshitha, Julie, Carol, Duncan, Stephanie, Marina, Manry and Mathieu on your CEEDs this summer! Stay tuned to follow their experiences in Jordan, India, Togo, Brazil, Ghana, China, Pakistan, Cameroon and Ecuador!