One of the delights in working at Georgetown is the opportunity to get to know some of the brightest and most talented young people in the nation.

In 1980, I met a young man. He was a pre-med student at Georgetown, a junior co-captain of the football team. He went on to be a four-year starter at fullback for the Hoyas and he led the efforts to establish the Hoya Captains Club, a forerunner to today's Student-Athlete Leadership Advisory Committee

John Federico was an exemplary student and athlete, a natural leader. I remember being drawn by his natural inclination to take on the toughest challenges and his unending efforts to make the world around him better. We became close friends and I got to know many members of his family.

On August 28th of this year, John Federico removed a lesion from my mother's lung. Today, she is well and looking forward to her 80th Thanksgiving holiday with my father and several of her 11 children.

So, on this special day of thanks, I am grateful to God for all the blessings of life. And I am especially thankful for friends like Dr. John Federico, a fellow Hoya who makes a difference every day in others' lives.

Happy Thanksgiving.