I am less than a month away from being considered a junior in college. I am almost over halfway done with my undergraduate degree, a Bachelor of Science in Education degree for Theatre Education at Troy University. It all sounds so formal -- huh? The real world is setting in quick. I know soon the typical college break questions will go from covering my college experience -- the people, the jobs, the shows -- to covering my post-undergrad plans.

I've thought a lot about that recently. I have always asked myself what kind of impact I wanted to leave on this world, and how exactly I wanted to do that. While I have had several rough drafts of plans for the future, it wasn't until the 2016 Presidential Election that I knew, hands down, what I planned to do after I graduated from Troy University with an undergraduate degree.

I am a registered Democrat, and take that as you will. I sent in an absentee ballot for this election. No, it is not your business who I voted for in the end. I want to apologize for being blunt, but it's just how the world goes. The results are out -- Donald Trump is the president-elect. There is no way that I can change that. I'll admit, I wasn't all too happy with the end results. There are a lot of reasons that I should be afraid of Donald Trump as president. There is a part of me that knows there are two sides to every story; maybe Trump might not make a terrible president, maybe he is simply politically misunderstood. There is the other part, the part that inspires me to fight for everyone who may be harmed by his threats and terror-demanding politics because they are a minority and seemingly harmful to the United States. Especially with Washington D.C. in the power if the Republicans, I'm not too sure what the future holds for anyone in the United States who isn't a Caucasian, male, and/or Christian. I want to get out there and do something, because I am a part of a generation that will not take being bullied around, which is pretty dang cool.

On a seemingly disconnected note, I didn't always want to major in Theatre Education. During high school, I pushed for theatre -- I couldn't live with out it. It's still such a big part of me, and I love doing it every day of the week. However, I wanted to be the next [brunette] Elle Woods. I wanted my undergraduate career to morph into a wonderful law school graduate degree. I did all kinds of research about law schools, what to major in for undergraduate school, and found the Accelerated Law program at Troy. No matter how much I looked into it, and how much my cold feet tried to get me, my parents insisted I try theatre for a semester. Here I am, almost sixty credit hours later and thanking them for making me stick to my gut.

But what does my gut tell me now? It tells me that I am going to law school, because it really doesn't matter what your undergraduate degree is when it comes to the legal system. Sure, being a pre-law or criminal justice major may give me a one up, but where is the fun? Where is the challenge?

I want to go out into the world with some legal knowledge and educate people on how to safely (and legally - i.e. no unnecessary violence) protest, and how much it matters that they cast their vote and do their civic duty. I want to keep America and all of its citizens as free as I can -- even if it means wearing tennis shoes and talking on the Senate floor filibustering for thirteen hours like Wendy Davis did in 2013. I want to tell people that it isn't okay to write in Harambe for President, nor is it okay for such a large percentage of the American population to simply not vote at all.

I may just be one small, freckly, pale girl with big dreams, but I know I am not the only person this election has inspired. I will strive to be involved in my government, and to encourage others to do it as well. I will find the strength in advocating, as well as in educating, for changes in the United States to happen. I will make my own power, and find a way to give help to those who need it. There is no need to be afraid of politics, and there is no need to dream small. If you can't get the system to work, become a part of it an make it work.