As summer winds down, it's nice to reflect back on all the fun and exciting things you've gotten to do. We like to reflect on the trips taken and memories made. However, it's also important to reflect on the events that have hurt our hearts this summer.

The countless terror attacks (including Nice, France).

The violence and misunderstanding and hurting that has surrounded the relationship between African Americans and police officers.

The Stanford Rape case.

The elections and controversy surrounding them.

The spread of Zika virus.

The mass shootings in Florida.

These things can be distressing and make this year seem bleak. So much so, that many people have just wished it away, hoping that a new year will magically bring happiness and prosperity rather than heartbreak. We would be naïve to think it could be so easy. However, we can look at these events and be the change the world needs. Ask yourself how you can make a difference.

Will you push for reform? Or maybe construct a creative solution? Could you be the scientist that finds a cure for the Zika virus or other diseases? Maybe you will just be the positive person changing the hearts and minds of everyone you encounter.

Whether you think about it or not, you will either have a positive or negative impact. There is no such thing as having no impact. If you choose to not give your best effort in making a difference, your wasted talents affects the rest of us negatively. We need you. It has nothing to do with the world knowing your name, but the world being a better place by the legacy you leave. Every single one of us leaves a footprint behind. Some are bigger than others, but the overall effect can be the same. Change. This word gets thrown around a lot, and usually it comes around when we are frustrated with how things are.

We, as humans, are natural problem solvers. We have a whole section of our brain devoted to problem solving! Let's get busy using it! Let's come up with solutions to age old problems. Let's be the change this world needs. This generation has access to billions of resources at the touch of a button. We have been blessed with the access of knowledge, but we have been cursed with the idea that we can't do anything about the problems we see before us.

We underestimate our power. The power we have when we unite together for a cause. Think about it for a minute. Twitter CRASHED because of our response to Ellen's selfie at the Oscars. What if together, we could get behind a cause like making sure children in our country don't go hungry? Imagine the impact that would have. And that's just one issue! The generation above us is daring us to do better than them. All they see is a bunch of children with technology attached to our hip. We can prove that we hold a powerful tool that can be used to change the world.

So let's use our resources for research instead of retweets and let's devote our time to creating a difference instead of creating a debate. We can make a bigger splash in this ocean than just crashing twitter. It's time we show the world what we are really made of. It's time.