Let me just say firsthand that at first, I didn't know if I should write this article, but I felt like if I didn't talk about it, I would just be turning a blind eye away from an important issue, and I can't do that. So, here we go.

The past few days have been long, agonizing, and painful. Election Day finally came, we voted, and watched the results be updated on the news. As each state turned red or blue, we watched the votes add up. Then at the end of the night, it was announced that Donald Trump was elected as the 45th president of the United States.

Nobody expected this, not even Trump voters. Hillary supporters were devastated; I even admit that I was shocked when I found out. I thought that my legs were going to drop to the ground and my face would land into the sweaters I was folding at work. As I continued to help close down, I had to hide that fact that I was crying and getting a runny nose.

I was like a lot of people that night: confused, shocked, broken, and it was the same way the day after the election. I felt like I lost faith in humanity. For the first time in my life, I was fearful of living in my own country, something I never thought I would experience. I then understood what families in the Middle East were going through.

Then I saw Hillary Clinton's concession speech. She said that we have to come together now, support each other, and fight for what we believe in. And in that moment, I knew that I had to start becoming an advocate and teacher for my country. What we need to do now is fight and be there for each other. We have to be strong now. And we have to know that other countries are going to be there for us.

Start showing the world what you believe in. Start volunteering at soup kitchens so that you can feed those in need. Start speaking out for women's rights. Talk about how important climate change is (because it is not a controversy the Chinese invented). Stand up for those that need a voice right now. Be there for someone that is in the LGBT community, is Muslim, Mexican. Even if you don't know the person, show them kindness and compassion.

And even if you are not ready to make a big commitment on volunteering or advocacy, start by taking baby steps by seeing if there is anything you want to do to better yourself. Maybe it's committing to work harder in school or in your classes, because you've felt like you haven't been doing your best, or you know that you could do better. Maybe it's supporting a friend or helping your family.

There are so many people out there that are scared, terrified even; so am I. We're scared that a wall will be built, separating families. Scared that we will be facing daily harassment from people on the streets. Even now, harassment towards Muslim-Americans and immigrants have spiked in high schools and colleges days after the election. Now is the time to help each other, show people in power that hate and prejudice will not be tolerated, that we will not unravel all of those years we have fought to better our country, and stand by what we believe in: love.