As I walked off the stage of the 2007 DECA State competition, I could not believe what I held in my hands. Six months earlier I had been elected to be the DECA Chapter President of over 230 students. As DECA “prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in high schools and colleges around the globe” 1I learned not only how to lead and delegate, but also how to rely on others and work with others.
Throughout my life I have faced many challenge and opportunities that shaped me into the person that I am today. With my father’s illness and my older brother’s mental problems I became mature at a young age which proved to be a blessing in my life. As a missionary in Brazil I truly discovered the importance of spiritual and secular learning. I also developed the communication skills necessary to interact effectively with others in any setting or situation. "Let us never lose sight of the fact that education is a preparation for life -- and that preparing for life is far more than knowing how to make a living or how to land on the moon. Preparing for life means building personal integrity, developing a sound sense of values, increasing the capacity and willingness to serve. Education must have its roots in moral principles." 2
“Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself.”
In recent years, many individuals and companies have been caught and imprisoned dir deceitful financial tactics and financial statement fraud. Especially in accounting, individuals with morals and a sense of ethics are ever increasingly needed. The one experience that has helped me understand the importance of personal integrity and values is serving a full-time mission. Even though I learned integrity and hard work as a manager of a restaurant, as an Eagle Scout, and as the DECA President in high school, nothing had an impact on my sense of values and willingness to serve than