Legacy by President Matthew

      A legacy is something that I think isn’t talked about enough. It’s something that you’ll be remembered by in your chapter, and maybe even your community. By using a legacy as an end goal, it also makes it easier to decide what you should do, and how much work should be put in. If you want to learn more about a legacy itself and why it’s so important to have one, check out my video blog. Here, I want to help you decide what you want your legacy to be.
       When thinking about a legacy, a lot of people get worried about what they’ll be remembered by. It’s definitely scary, but to me, there’s a simple way to narrow it down. All you have to do is ask yourself one question: What are you passionate about? Make a list and narrow it down to your top 3. One of these three things, or more than one, should be what you focus on when thinking about your legacy. Also keep in mind it is possible to leave a legacy by doing a bunch of things well, but in my experience, it is easier to accomplish if you do a couple things incredibly.
      Regardless, these three things hopefully fall under the scope of your officer position. If not, perhaps there’s a way you can connect one of your passions to the responsibilities of your position. I’m sure there’s some connection. Anyways, take your top three choice, and come up with concrete ideas for how to accomplish them. These should be ideas with a large impact, and that can be continued for years to come. Then when you’ve left your chapter, people can continue what you started, and remember you for starting it.
         Follow through this process, and you’ll hopefully have ideas of what you want to do. If not, I have a few of my own. For example, if you want your chapter to do better in competition (which to be fair it is getting late for), there are many steps you can take. You could have a state officer come in and speak about competition, have quizzes every meeting and the top 3 scoring members get prizes, or start an afterschool study program to prepare. Every chapter has different opportunities, and you should take advantage of all of them. Another passion may be community involvement. You could partner with a local nonprofit, and learn about how they manage their finances, while also volunteering. You could also use this involvement in a chapter project. There are LIMITLESS opportunities out there if you’re willing to take advantage of them.
           A legacy is attainable, just find your passions. Hopefully I’ve helped and you can use this process to make a massive impact within your chapter and community. DECA gives you the resources to do so many different things, and you only have four years (or fewer left) to take advantage of that. Don’t waste the time you have.