These past four years an infinite number of voices have entered my world at Notre Dame Academy.  Some are small, like Mrs. Hearden always telling us to make flashcards and study actively or Mr. Dunlap telling us to always simplify fractions. However, the voices that will stick with me are really the voices of my fellow students.  When I see Dahyana (Flores) deliver a monologue onstage, or when I hear Katie (Coyle) say the prayer on the morning announcements, or when I hear (Andrew) Gruesen coming to another far-fetched literary analysis concerning the existence of God, or when I listen to an original song by (Katie) Romes, I am amazed by the intricacy of our thoughts and the magnitude of our accomplishments. It is because of my fellow classmates that I have faith in our future.

Some doubt that the millennials, my generation, have the skills and knowledge to create a bright future for the world.  They think that we are too materialistic, self-centered, that we cannot look up from our iPhones for even one second. However, when I open my eyes and look around me, I realize that those people could not be more wrong.  I would say that my goal is to prove that collectively, my generation can change the world and create a place where everyone is welcome to follow his own dreams despite skin color, gender, or any other characteristic that barely  scratches the surface of a person’s true soul.

I live in anticipation of what we can achieve in this world. One day, I’ll see Clare (Ravizza) win an election even though 100 years ago she was not able to vote.  One day, I’ll see Carmen (Lewis) graduate college even though in 1960 she could not even attend a white school. Our world has grown so much, and it is only going to continue to improve with my generation at the wheel.