To the Future of West Virginia,

I know at times we all want to leave our home among the hills and never look back, but we need to realize that this is our home. We have to give back to the mountains that shaped us into who we are today.

We have all heard the standard "There isn't anything here" or that "There aren't any jobs", but those who have the chance to change West Virginia leave. We are giving up on the place we call home. We are giving up on the mountains where all of our memories are made. We need to open our businesses here, tell people about how beautiful our state is, and advocate for West Virginia.

We need to take a stand for coal and the coal miners who depend on our states natural resources to make a living. West Virginia relies on coal for jobs and for energy. Coal is our past, present, and future. I understand that we will not always have an abundance of coal, but while we do, we need to use it. We need to support coal because it gives jobs to so many West Virginians. Coal puts food on the table and a roof over the heads of so many families. Coal keeps the lights on.

Although we mine coal, we need to keep our home beautiful. We need to keep our mountains green and our rivers, lakes, and streams clean. We need to take pride in how beautiful our state is. We live in one of the most beautiful places in the world. I may be a little biased, but I will take the view of a mountain ridge over a city any day. We need to advocate for companies to plant trees and grass after they are done using our natural resources. Our beautiful landscape attracts so many people to our home.

We must fight back to make our state a home again. We must fight the opioid epidemic. The opioid epidemic has taken over the households of too many families here. The opioid epidemic is causing our death and crime rights to skyrocket. This epidemic is putting everyone at risk. People who are suffering from this epidemic are putting others at risk because they are throwing their used needles out and spreading diseases rapidly. People are accidentally sticking themselves with the dirty needles and are contracting diseases.

We are the future of West Virginia. I am not saying it is going to be an easy road, but our home is worth the battle. We must continue to fight for our home and its future. Although all of us may not stay in West Virginia, I know that we all still want to be able to visit home. We want our loved ones who live here to live in a growing state with a thriving economy. We all need to love West Virginia every day as much as we do on June 20.