President Obama took office the year I turned sixteen. I had paid no attention to politics before his campaign -- I was too young to vote and didn't see the point. It was his 2008 presidential campaign that finally captured my attention.
Admittedly, I still didn't care much about the issues -- the only political opinion I had formed at that point was that I was adamantly pro-choice -- but I was entranced by the possibility of someone who looked like me ascending to the highest office in the land. I still remember watching the recording of his first inauguration with my mom as soon as I came home from school, wrapped up in blankets, eyes glued to the television. It felt like I was watching opportunities for my own life unfold.
Recommended for you
Michelle Obama was just as important to me. As a dark-skinned teenage girl who was still struggling with how she looked, seeing a woman who shared my complexion wield an incredible amount of influence over the country was huge.
True to the theme of President Obama's campaign, January 20, 2009 was a day of hope for me.
As I grew older, left for college, and began to learn enough to form nuanced political views, President Obama continued to represent hope for change. At times, the hope was lessened. Occasionally, it was because of fault I found in him. I disagreed with policy decisions over the years and was disappointed with how he chose to respond to certain situations. Others, it was because of how his critics responded to him. If even a president wasn't immune to racism, I certainly wasn't -- no matter how many degrees I earned.
I proudly cast my first vote for him in 2012 and tried to let his optimism carry me through 2016, even as I watched the numbers of "#TrumpTrain" tweets rise exponentially. On January 20, 2017, eight years after a day that represented so much hope, we will say goodbye to the Obama Administration and hello to President Trump. Though it pains me to actually write that out, it doesn't change reality.
However, I am going to try to temper my jaded view of politics with the hope and optimism that helped President Obama win his first election. I am so grateful for all that he has accomplished -- helping millions of Americans become insured and saving lives in the process, spurring economic recovery and putting people back to work, repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell and giving military members the freedom to love openly, improving our international image and so many countless other achievements. I'm not ready to say goodbye.
But I am ready to go to work.
Thank you, President Obama, for all that you have done for the United States. I'm still fired up and ready to go.
