DECA Bayview Welcomes the 2011-2012 Class: Let's Make it Happen

Last year was legendary.

We set a national record for the number of students who qualified for ICDC, with 28 of our members placing in the top 5 in their categories. And after the international competition, Bayview walked home with one first place trophy and one second place trophy.

While we can bask in the glory of our successes, your 2011-2012 Executive Team is filled with greedy children. We want more. We take pride in our past triumphs, but the screams, cheers, and Bayview chants of previous years are distant in our memories.

Every one of us wants to feel the exhiliration of hearing "from Bayview Secondary School" on the Sheraton's loudspeaker. And we want to give new members the chance to experience everything that DECA has to offer.

What's so surreal about DECA is seeing the sheer magnitude of the event and your accomplishments. Look 60 or 70 years into the future when you're chilling in a retirement home; you'll be able to say, "I was part of something really special back in high school."

But we'll be the happiest if you don't even remember DECA when you're in your 80s. And not because it wasn't an incredible experience, but because you've moved on to do huge things that dwarf everything you did as a DECA Bayview member.

Think of DECA as a spark. The spark that will ignite your potential and take you places that you've never even heard of. We hope to see you all on Forbes magazine, or CNN, or ruling over Madagascar.

On a final note, it's really nice to walk home with a trophy or a plaque. But the only value these will have for you is the 5 bucks you can get for them at a garage sale. Don't push yourself because you get a trophy. Push yourself because you want to get the most out of this amazing opportunity.