I would never have thought that Mr. Trump winning the United States presidential election along with the aftermath of the results would have left me to be so distraught, heartbroken, confused, angry, and as emotional as it has. In the midst of this past week, I have not had the emotional energy to organize my thoughts, feelings, and opinions on all that encompasses our new president, so I am going to try my best to clearly articulate all that I want to say. Saying that the topic of politics is "touchy" right now is an understatement, so I want to make a disclaimer that I am by no means trying to make people more emotionally-charged (as everyone has the right to be) or to invalidate anyone's opinions, thoughts, stances, beliefs, or votes.

I am a woman. I am a woman very aware of the prevalence of sexual assault and rape culture and all of the pain that it carries. I am a woman who believes that every single human should be empowering and respecting one another regardless of gender. I am a woman who listened to Donald Trump belittle women as though we are nothing more than an object " to "grab." I am a woman who is dumbfounded and left unable to wrap my brain around the notion that a woman's qualifications for a job are simply not enough if up against a man. I am a woman who took Mr. Trump being elected president as a huge slap in the face. A slap in the face that very much still stings.

Being a woman was what I thought would make this election hurt the most, but I was very, very wrong. I am surrounded by young people a lot. I volunteer at an after school program in the West-side of Chicago a couple times a week where I work with primarily Hispanic students. In addition, I work as a teaching assistant and tutor at a K-8 school on the Southside of Chicago where I work with primarily African-American students coming from low-income families.

The thought of each and every one of my students being forgotten about, written off as an unimportant lost cause, and having someone who has insulted their identities and families voted into the oval office, that's what hurts. And let me tell you, it hurts a lot.

The week leading up to November 8th, I was bombarded with questions from students about Donald Trump's candidacy:

"Is Donald Trump a racist?"

"Will my parents be deported if Trump wins?"

"Why do people like Trump? Trump doesn't like me because I'm Black."

I cannot even begin to explain the feelings that I felt when staring back at the young people who asked me those terrible questions that should never be asked about a person, especially a person running for President of the United States.

So as I sat, watching the map of our country become increasingly redder, my heart physically hurt. I was at a loss for what to feel. As each state became red, I thought of the bright, resilient, incredible, talented, inspiring young people I am so thankful to surround myself with. These kids are people who I have grown to adore, who have inspired me to become the best version of myself, who have taught me more than I will ever be capable of teaching them, and who are filled with monumentally more strength and potential than most people I have ever met. These kids are far from being a priority to many people, with one of those people being Donald Trump. These kids are marginalized. These kids are a victim of stereotypes. These kids were not dealt a set of cards in their favor. These kids are in desperate need to be fought for.

So to all of you who are privileged enough to spend your time with young people, I challenge all of you to take this election not as a defeat, but as a call to action to empower the people who are the future of our country. We can teach them all of the power President-elect Trump will have, but we can also teach them all of the power that he doesn't. He cannot use his words to belittle how precious their identity is to the vibrancy and success of our country and its future. He cannot instill fear that their families are not welcomed or wanted. He cannot make them feel anything short of incredible. Kids are strong enough to believe in the power of kindness and diversity and we are strong enough to set examples of what it means to not only accept different identities but to love every single one of them.

It is hard to ignore the feelings that you are entitled to feel as the reality of Donald Trump being elected as the leader and face of our country, a country in desperate need of social change, settles in. His statements and rhetoric have emboldened division in our country and has promoted hate speech that is being viewed and heard through the media, including our youth.

I cannot go through a day without thinking of my students and how much they mean to me, so I am going to do nothing short of my best to empower each and every one of them into feeling that they are wanted and are capable of success. So we have to rise to the challenge. We have to be examples. We have to be the role models and uphold the values that our new president lacks. We have to celebrate the importance of acceptance and love of diversity. We have to be allies. We have to advocate. We have to learn. We have to listen. We have to understand. We have to empathize. We have to fight for the future of the kids who are left without a voice.

"If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality." -Desmond Tutu