We are all products of our environment. And to my family's displeasure, I am not.

When you're a kid and hear your parents talking about politics and their own personal beliefs, you, as a child, believe in them too. You believe the same as your parents because you have a belief that your parents are always right. As a person grows up, those beliefs can shatter. Even with growing up with Fox News being played around the clock daily, growing up in a conservative part of the country, and hearing anti-liberal sentiments in my household I did not grow up to be a Republican, but a declared Democrat. I'm a Democrat in a family full of conservatives or declared Republicans.

realized I did not have the same political beliefs as my family was in my high school U.S. Government class. We took a quiz to see where we all stood on the political spectrum and the score I got revealed I was on the more liberal side of the spectrum. I was shocked. I was somewhat speechless that I wasn't a product of my environment. When I came home and told my mom, who is generally more conservative, she was surprised too. After I looked over the answers I put on my quiz and realized that I cared more about people's well-being more than my conservative friends.

As I kept taking my U.S. Government class, I got to know my political views more and more. My more liberal standings became very apparent in class debates. I brought home discussions about political happenings to see what my family thought. When I talked about these political topics with my family, we strongly took different sides and even argued a bit.

Being the only Democrat in a family of conservative Republicans is more than difficult. In an election year such as this one where the candidates are so starkly different, sometimes I feel like my political views disconnect me from the rest of my family. Having political discussions with my family and trying to get them to see a different perspective feels like talking to brick walls. The best advice I can give to people whose political views aren't congruent with their families to stand strong in your beliefs. Having political discussions with people who have different views than you is healthy and keep talking about politics with them. Your political opinions shouldn't be belittled or overshadowed by your family's. It's okay to be the odd one out because your views still matter.