Make America Great Again: to many this statement feels true; to others it feels as though this may never be true again. Though it appears as a false statement in our eyes, we must keep this message alive in our hearts; in a time when all we can feel is the pain in our hearts. We cannot go back and change this outcome, and he cannot go back and change what he said or did.

Rotary's theme for the past year has been: Be a Gift to the World. Each of us is our own 'gift' and though we all share different views we can still come together to make our country a lovable place. Too often we mark ourselves and others with unneeded and unwanted labels; Immigrant, gay, racist, woman. But we should not see these as labels; these are unique characteristics, 'gifts', that make our country what it is. Without each and every gift we would all be the same, and who wants a country that conforms to what is around them? We must take what makes us special and bring it together with the differences of our peers, to work as a whole and not let our country fall apart. We must lead as one and bring back the essentials that we built our country on.

Each day must be Better Than Yesterday. Though each day may not seem a better day than the one before, we must learn to take our negative experiences and find the positive in them. Many people feel this is a step back in the progress America has made, but it may also be a time for us to strengthen our connections and our rights. We must face it with strength and courage that our country will only grow stronger from this change.

If there is one thing I can urge from this compelling time, it is that we must put aside our differences and become one. One nation that can conquer whatever is thrown at it as a whole and not each separate piece we are made of. If we can do this, we can represent the growth of our nation no matter what controversies we face.