I spend a lot of my life trying. Whether I find myself swamped in academics, struggling with relationships or friendships, or solely in life, I am constantly trying.

Over the course of my life, I have been shown that trying gets you far. At any moment, it can feel as though you’re running circles around yourself. Things feel impossible when they fail to go as planned. However, life has a turbulence that can only be cured by confidence.

In recent times, former President Donald Trump was reelected for his second term. This may come as a shock to some, or it may become apparent to others. In any instance, this election was immensely historic for many reasons.

Vice President Kamala Harris was Trump’s opposing candidate. Since July, I have experienced several rallies alongside members of The Slate—including Harris and Govs. Shapiro, Whitmer, Evers, Mills and more, which was an opportunity that I’m grateful for. It taught me journalistic integrity, ethics and acceptance.

Within these experiences, I was also shown the importance of contrasting viewpoints. Throughout this historic journey, I learned plenty about myself, politics and the values of America.

As a country with conflicting beliefs, I believe journalism is a force to break the narratives about misinformation and disinformation. Though this, sometimes, is seen as a comical opinion, I truly do believe that journalism, as a whole, has the power to end stigma, escalation of falsity and create a space for others to learn.

Whether your beliefs lie in Republican or Democratic points-of-views, the promise of America was, or should be, the acceptance and welcoming of any and everybody. The difficulty of doing so during these politically sensitive moments is prevalent, especially in a time as intense as this.

As a woman, I often fear for the rights of myself and my future daughters. I have had difficulty coming to terms with the fact that things may become different than they were before, but I need to remember that the fight for women’s rights is not over.

To those who, additionally, fear for their rights, I will continue to welcome you. I believe that any person who steps foot in the country of America should be provided with human rights and should be allowed to experience who they are without complications. The fight is not over for these rights, either.

I wish for the United States of America to become a positive and admirable place. Therefore, I keep trying to use journalism to fuel positivity. I keep trying to educate myself about topics that I may not know everything about. I am trying to make a difference that benefits everybody, not just myself.

I once heard that America was a melting pot. I agree with that statement, as we are an incredibly diverse country. Nevertheless, the melting pot slowly divides into a salad bowl when the rights of others are jeopardized.

Neither party is perfect all the time. It would be ridiculous to assume that one is better than the other. If we assumed that, we would be contributing to a long-lived issue. Politicians are people. The government is made of people. The citizens of America are people. We are all people, and we deserve to be treated as such.

During these delicate moments, I hope everybody can find it within themselves to be compassionate to those who have genuine questions, concerns or uncertainties about the current standing of America.

As easy as it is to forget what your own reservations were before an outcome arose, try to remember what they would feel like regarding others’ emotions. This is an important step to creating the melting-pot we’ve been in search of.

Trying, sometimes, feels like a road to nowhere. The road only ends if you do not have an end-goal in sight. The end-goal can differ. How you get to that goal is what really counts.

We fought for freedom. Is that not what we should continue to aim for?

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