On November 9th, I woke up and cried. I jolted up to the sound of my 6:00 AM alarm, and I instantly prayed to God that the results I had last seen around 2:00 AM were not true. It was all just a bad dream, right??? But when I reluctantly checked my phone... my heart shattered into a million tiny pieces.

I am writing this article today because of my duty as an aspiring social worker to speak out for social justice and advocate on behalf of those being oppressed. I am also writing this to let everyone know that I love you. I will not let this election make me into an angry, hateful person. That is not who I am, and I strongly believe that love will still trump hate. In fact, we need to follow this motto now more than ever given the circumstances.

However, I am honestly afraid that this article is going to cause my friends and family members who are Trump supporters to be angry with me... So in order to avoid any hatred, I am going to open up my heart to you and let you know why my personal aspirations to be a social worker matter so much in regards to this election.

My biggest dream in life is to return to my hometown of New Bedford, Massachusetts, to work as a social worker with immigrant families. This dream stems from several influences and experiences in my life that have made me the strong woman I am today - beginning with my grandmother who worked so passionately to help her fellow Portuguese immigrants attain citizenship. She received the Ellis Island Award for her incredible work and service, and I want to follow in her footsteps.

Trump supporters who claim that immigrants need to come into our country in the "right way" are correct, but this is not possible right now. There is no line to wait in. Guatemalan children and families are trying to escape from terrifying and life-threatening political unrest, economic instability, and gang violence (consequences of a 36-year civil war that THE UNITED STATES HELPED FUND AND SUPPORT), but there is no pathway to citizenship. One friend of mine, who I still LOVE so much, is confused about this. She thinks that Trump cannot be racist because his wife is an immigrant herself and she obtained citizenship the right way, so we can't everyone else? It is a great question and here is why... Mrs. Trump is from Europe. She is the "right, WHITE" kind of immigrant. She came in on a work visa for her modeling career, and she was able to stay because of her job. But a Guatemalan mother who is forced to flee from her country and seek asylum is NOT allowed in Mrs. Trump's line. She is the "wrong" kind of immigrant. A Guatemalan passport does not hold the same power as a European one, and with Donald Trump as our president now, I am terrified for her because of how he has labeled all immigrants of color as "criminals."

And immigrants are not the only population who I am terrified for... If you identify as LGBT, female, Latino/a, Black, or Muslim, I am so sorry... And if you are a lower or middle-class White male, I am also scared for you because Trump will not help you either. I know you are angry because you have been stripped of the American dream, and you are justified in your anger. You are right - it is not fair! But you have displaced your rage onto the WRONG people. You are using minority groups as scapegoats because they can be easily blamed and it makes you feel better that there is still someone below you. But Trump is not the answer; he is actually the problem. I wish that we had all banded together in this election - minority groups and downwardly mobile lower/middle-class White men alike - because I think we could have created a beautiful movement for social justice to restore the American dream. But now I sadly predict that in four years, we will all be worse off... As will the environment...

My only hope now lies with my faith that love will still trump hate. I have never felt so motivated about my future career as a social worker, and as a result of this election, I know that there will unfortunately be even more oppressed groups whom I will need to work with, advocate with, fight with, and love. My job will now be more critical than ever. I will need to actively and vocally fight for social justice. I will need to become fluent in Spanish in order to work with my vulnerable client population. I will need to study, study, and study as I continue my education. I am privileged to even have this access to education. The Guatemalan mother fleeing from her country who is not allowed in Mrs. Trump's line to apply for citizenship does not have this opportunity that I have, so I will now think of her during every single one of my classes and study hard. By doing so, I hope that I can be the best social worker possible for her and be well equipped to fight for policy reform so that she can one day have the same access to opportunities as me.

Whether I am working with an immigrant trying to attain citizenship or a policy writer who is a Trump supporter, I must always remember to love. Reacting in anger and hatred toward Trump supporters will not solve anything, and I know that my loved ones who do support Trump are not supporting him because they are racist, sexist, or against the LGBT community. I know that they are supporting him because they genuinely think he will be good for our country. But as you read this article, please do so with an open mind. I pray that we can talk about these matters and work together because at the end of the day, we all want the same thing - to improve the state of our country.

I just pray to God that it is not too late... I am especially terrified for the LGBT community and undocumented immigrant families right now because of the disgusting policies I have already heard he wants to pass... I am scared. I have cried... a lot. I still cannot believe that Donald Trump is our president, but I will try to be positive and pray that he makes good decisions. And no matter what happens, I know that I have a huge job ahead of me as a social worker. As of today, November 9, 2016, I will no longer speak of working with immigrant families as "my dream" because it is now my duty. I know that this is what God wants me to do, and I trust in God that through the power of love, we can all band together to trump hate.