"When I joined Toastmasters I had no idea what 'DTM' meant.These were just three letters that didn't resonate with me because I was joining Toastmasters to overcome my life long fear of speaking in public. The impetus for joining came when presentations were expected for my job. I knew I needed help to overcome my fear so I joined the Toastmaster club being advertised on my works bulletin boards. The year was 2000 and I had no idea I would still be a Toastmaster in 2013, or have learned as much as I have. It was way more than I ever expected. My greatest joy came in 2001 when I was offered an opportunity to 'mentor' a new club. The Markham Sweet Talkers were looking for experienced Toastmasters to help, and I fit their needs. I had no idea serving as a'club mentor' would someday count toward my 'Competent Leadership award'. If I could recommend anything to new Toastmasters, it would be to keep a binder of your accomplishments so you can track your important Toastmasters goals. It has taken me until 2013 to complete the final presentation needed to complete my 'Advanced Communicator Gold' and along with my previously completed 'Advanced Leadership", I was able to apply for Toastmaster's highest award 'Distinguished Toast Master'. No-one will ever know how satisfyingand excited I was to receive this award. My time in Toastmaster has really flown by quickly and I feel really happy I have met so many wonderful people and learned so much from them. I had the great honour of showing the award to my family and made sure a copy of this award was sent to my employer. I hope everyone that comes through our doors will someday get to experience this too because if I can do it, you can too."
Sincerely, Cheryl Ballard, DTM