So what does it take to achieve excellence in STEM education? That is the title of the author's presentation delivered at International Technology and Engineering Educators Association's (ITEEA's) FTEE "Spirit of Excellence" Breakfast on March 16, 2012, in Long Beach, California. In preparation for this presentation, the author went back and read all the Spirit of Excellence breakfast speeches he could find and talked to many of his colleagues. He reflected back on the graduate courses that he teaches and has taught: mainly leadership, change theories, and foundational-focused courses in the discipline. These have all kept him current with the latest trends and issues for the discipline. But in the end, he thought through everything and he just decided to sit down and give what he feels is important to him, how he believes excellence can come about in STEM Education, and educators' role in STEM Education. In this presentation, the author reflects back on his experiences, other people's experiences, the love of the discipline, and his view for the future need of the discipline.