Dear Mr. President:

As your days in the Oval Office days dwindle down, I look back at past eight years and admire what you have done for this nation. When you were elected in 2008, I was a mere eleven years old. Ignorant to much of what was happening in the world, I did not know how to feel about a newly-elected president. I listened to my parents’ continuous discussion of how you may have not been the best candidate, but they swallowed their criticisms and moved on. Growing and maturing in a conservative household, I was swayed to believe that you had not done anything worth true praise. But, as I grew older, I realized that parents are not always right, and mine were definitely not right about you.

I will say, I do not agree with everything you have done, but the amount of respect I have gained for you continues to rise. Your ambition, your charisma, your dignity, your integrity are all qualities that you carry with you everyday, qualities that everyone can pursue in their own lives. Though not all of your presidency has ended in success, you have passed health care reform, eliminated Osama, and repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” In a mere eight years the nation has seen an African American become president, gay marriage become legal, an economy revived and 20 million americans became insured for the first time. I have watched a democracy thrive under you, Mr. President, and for that, I have felt true American pride. But above all, Mr. President, you have taught me some crucial life lessons, ones that everyone can learn from.

You have been criticized like no other, as most presidents are. But unlike our incoming president, you do not react to such criticism. Instead of responding with cruelty and pettiness to someone’s assessment behind a computer screen, you listen. You may not agree with others’ opinions, you may not enjoy the cruel and disheartening words that come out of others’ mouths, but you listen. Listening, as I have learned from experience, is a vital quality to have if you want people to respect you and to truly understand how others feel. Confrontation and debate, though necessary at times, is not a key to success. Listening allows for opinions to be heard and reciprocated.

Change is something we can truly believe in. For eight years I have looked up to you as an inspiration, as you proved Mr. President that hard work can lead to success far beyond what anyone could have imagined. As the new era of a presidency is upon us, I am saddened realizing that one of my heroes will not be there protecting and defending our nation. As I sat listening to your Farewell Address Tuesday night, I realized that once again, you were right. A leader is not the only one who can change the world, but rather it can happen when any individual, any group, or any city pursues change. Progress comes from those who decide to work hard and dedicate themselves towards that vision of a better place, a better world.

Your presidency has been filled with grace, Mr. President, I am awed by your decency and integrity. Not only was your presidency scandal-free but you held yourself, and everyone around you, to a higher standard. You did not attack someone for “having small hands” during a political debate, or minimize the atrocity of the Holocaust by referring to the press as “Nazi Germany” during your presidency. You took your criticisms with a grain of salt, and for that I respect you. You spoke with grace and eloquence, and sometimes even grazing an important speech with a sly sense of humor. When individuals questioned your birth certificate, you did not fight back, but rather rolled a clip of “The Lion King” at a Correspondents’ Association dinner, claiming it to be your birth video. As I have learned from you, Mr. President, sometimes the best way to defend yourself is not arguing with the other party at hand, but rather to make fun of yourself.

And finally, Mr. President, you gave me faith that there is a such thing as hope.But hope is not all it takes. That’s where your drive and passion influences me to be the best that I can be. Through the difficult, hard-working eight years of your presidency, I never saw you give up. Not even a little. There were times of hardship and sadness, but not once did I ever lose faith it what you were doing to protect and defend our nation. With that hope and drive to accomplish, Mr. President you broke barriers that influenced that nation for the better. And from that, I learned that hope, accumulated with the drive to accomplish is potent combination. And with that passion, there is so much that one can accomplish. Your 2008 campaign slogan “Change We Can Believe In” will be one that I will always remember. And as I sat watching your Farewell Address, I realized that change is something we can truly believe in. I cannot express the disdain I felt as our newly elected president was announced. But as I sat listening to your Farewell Address, I realized that there is hope. Change, is something that we can all learn from, that we all can progress from, and something that we can all do.

So here’s to you Mr. President. Thank you for all you have done. I’m sure the millennials can take it from here.

Yours truly,

A motivated student wanting to make change