Jim is by far one of the most inspiring people I have ever met. It was almost a year ago when I first had the pleasure of meeting himat the Sauve house, I had heard a great deal about the leadership program and I thought that I should take a look at it with my own eyes. Jim liked the fact that I came straight to the house without any prior arrangements, he said that it was a good sign of leadership. After sitting with him that day for almost an hour I was convinced that this is something that I would like to be a part of. He was telling many stories regarding past scholars. By the manner in which he was explaining who they are and what they are doing with their lives, I could tell that he both greatly admired his scholars and cared about them. That day I also got to meet some of the scholars and I saw in them how they genuinely cared for and respected Jim. I left the Sauve house that day thinking that I would really like to be part of it this environment. We managed to stay in touch that year and I was grateful for being selected for this year's scholarship. Even though I didn't get to know Jim for as long as many others have, I still managed to get attached to him. He was one of those people that you know you won't meet that often. He always had the best to say about anyone, from a plumber to a doctor without exaggeration. He was proud of the work that I was doing, mainly the filmmaking and often called me a hero. Setting an example for others isn't that easy nowadays but with Jim it came natural. In the first month of the program we, the current scholars, took example of his attitude and became like a family in no time, with Jim being the Godfather. He was ready to talk about anything and we always wanted to hear what he had to say. He effortlessly set the standards for our behavior with one another. I will always remember him and his presence and one day I hope to be as charismatic and honest as he was. In such a short time Jim has managed to leave such an impact on me and on the way I think, especially regarding 'being positive'. My sympathy goes to those who have known him longer than I have, and I am sure there are many. But it's a comforting thought that if he managed to bring me hope, I'm sure he did the same to many others throughout the years. That is asign of a good leader. Sherif Nakhla Sauve Scholar 07-08