Growing up, I remember having countless conversations with my parents about the importance of voting. My mom would tell me that even if I did not agree with the candidates who were running, it was my duty as an American to vote. I am a part of the third generation of my family, both on my maternal and paternal sides, to be born in America, and both of my parents would tell stories about how my relatives came to this country searching for better opportunities and were so proud on the days they became naturalized American citizens. With that being said, I was so excited when I turned eighteen a year ago, realizing I could actually vote in the 2016 presidential election.

And then the candidates were announced and, later on, finalized.

I don't consider myself a very political person. Since I agree with some more conservative views and some more liberal ones, I don't feel like I can fully identify with one political party. That's just always how I've been, somewhere in the middle. I would rather look at and vote for a candidate if I agree with the majority of his or her views and past actions, not solely based on his or her political party.

I feel very disappointed and discouraged that this is my first election. On one hand, I believe that Donald Trump is absolutely too extreme to be President and has said too many awful things to salvage his reputation in the public eye. No one outside of the United States would take us seriously as a country if he was elected President. However, I don't really care for Hillary Clinton as a candidate either. Therefore, I, along with a large majority of my friends who I have discussed this matter with, am stuck and very confused about what to do.

I briefly thought about just not voting in this upcoming election. This option was quickly ruled out when I thought about how hard my relatives worked to come to America to give their children and grandchildren a better life. They would be horrified if they knew that I openly chose to not exercise my right to vote. Also, as a woman, I think about how it has not even been one hundred years since women were granted the right to vote in this country. So, not voting is not an acceptable option.

A coworker recommended I just vote for Hillary, who she described as "the lesser of two evils." I don't really want to do this either. I am just one person, but my vote still matters. Why should I give my vote to someone I really don't think should be President, just because the other candidate happens to be a worse option?

I know I am not alone in this situation and that countless Americans are trying to figure out what the heck they are going to do this fall when it comes time to vote. Just remember that every vote counts, and you ultimately should vote. For now, I am just a very frustrated first-time voter, who, along with everyone else who is just as confused as she is, needs to do some serious thinking and research before she casts her vote this fall.