On Election Night in 2004, I remember, as a second grader, going to bed knowing that upon waking up the next morning there would be a new president of the United States. At eight years old, I remember quietly watching the news with my parents and saw the projected winners of each state, and their most current tallied electoral votes, periodically flash across the screen. I didn't know much about our governmental system or how it worked, nor did I understand the importance of voting and why so many people cared about who to elect as president; both George W. Bush and John Kerry seemed like pretty nice people to me.

Eight years later, on Election Day in 2012, at 16, I remember sitting outside my high school cafeteria thinking about how cool it was that I would be able to vote in the next presidential election. Compared to when I was eight, I was much more skilled in algebra, physics, chemistry, speaking and understanding the Spanish language, and psychology, among other subjects, yet I still lacked an understanding of the U.S. government, our electoral system and the two most prominent political parties' platforms. I had some idea about why Democrats and Republicans voted the way they did, but I also wasn't aware that there were many people in the country dissatisfied with our extremely divided, partisan system.

It wasn't until I took U.S. History my junior year of high school in which I started to become more educated about our political system. This was reinforced when I traveled with a group of twenty five or so other juniors to Washington D.C. for a week on a trip called "Close Up," because, yup, you guessed it, we got a "close-up" (ha!) look at U.S. politics and spent many hours touring the city, learning about the many stances on important issues, and practicing debating these issues. Over this week-long trip, I became much more confident in my own political views and really realized how fortunate I was to live in a democratic country where we get the privilege of voting for our representatives, both local and federal.

I start each day by reading the news, and I've made it an obligation to always (ideally) stay up-to-date on current events and politics. Taking a U.S. Government course at Vanderbilt my freshman year, and Public Policy this past year, has allowed my interest in learning about our political system, and politics in general, to grow, which is what inspired me to apply for an internship at my Senator's office this past summer. One of the highlights of the summer was our (the interns) sit-down breakfast with the Senator, because we each were able to ask him a question of our choosing. As we went around the table, a fellow intern asked the Senator how best to respond to those our age who have no interest in politics, especially in lieu of the upcoming presidential election. The Senator's response to this question, of what we should say to those of our friends, classmates and peers who have no interest in politics, has resonated with me, and I think about it every day as I read headline after headline reporting on the most recent ridiculousness of this year's presidential contest. We can't get people - our age specifically (millennials) - to care about politics, but it's important to remind them and point out that politics ultimately decides our lives.

Certain policies regarding health care, education, and the economy, and issues such as paid family or sick leave, one of many, may seem irrelevant to us now, but as we, college students, approach our mid-twenties, we need to remember that who we elect on the ballot, at all levels, this November will dictate how we come to face these issues in the very near future. If we don't take advantage of voting, how will our representatives represent who we are as an electorate? We are an increasingly diverse and tolerant generation, caring about issues such as the student loan crisis, climate change, marriage equality, and more, that generations before us did not advocate (as much) for. It disappoints me that people my age aren't voting or don't care about voting. We take advantage of this privilege; in many nations around the globe, especially those of authoritarian regime, the alternative proves to be catastrophic. I often think about the fact that one hundred years ago women did not have the ability to vote. Females voices and opinions did not matter to the nation's representatives. This is frightening to think about, and I think people often forget about the suffrage movement and the fight and strength it took to earn this right. In my opinion, it's also pretty cool that this year one of the candidates on the ballot happens to be a woman. History was made in 2008, and history could be made again in 2016, and, no, I'm not just talking about the Cubs winning the world series, although that was spectacular. History could be made in electing the first female president of the United States or the first real estate mogul/former Apprentice star/blonde oompa loompa. The choice is yours.

It is our civic duty to vote, and we should be fired up about how much progress has been made in America over time; we should not want to turn back the clock! While this is my opinion, I do in fact respect other's opinions, even those that differ from mine. I enjoy reading about or listening to others' reasons for why they are voting the way they are and why they believe what they do. The disagreement we often see and hear simply represents the beauty (although sometimes not beauty) of American democracy.

Personally, I am very excited to cast my ballot for the first time on Tuesday and to take advantage of this right I have that was fought for decades ago. No matter who you vote for or what policies you care about, you should still vote. Every vote counts.

Enough said....