I think we can all agree that this year’s presidential race has been exhausting, to say the least.

It has been fraught with ever-present headaches, petty back and forth dialogue, candidates who seem to be more caricatures of American politics rather than serious options and a nation that is deeply divided on almost every major political issue. For an 18 year old who is excited to be able to vote for the first time this fall, it has been a whirlwind of a year as I've tried to keep up with both sides on the issues.

To do so recently, I have been catching up on the Republican National Convention – with special interest on Donald Trump’s family. Of course, everyone has an opinion of his wife, Melania and her speech, but that’s not what I want to discuss today. I want to talk about his kids, with an emphasis on Ivanka Trump who spoke Thursday night.

I knew very little about Mr. Trump or his family in this election, which is why the speeches his children gave blew me away. Stepping away from political views and matters, we can all agree that many single children grow up polished, poised, motivated and professional. However, they all seemed to encompass the main characteristics of a successful, young businessperson in today’s world, which was refreshing to me. I wrongfully assumed that they would all come across spoiled, entitled and a little ditsy. In my mind, this wrong opinion was emphasized on Thursday night’s speaker, Ivanka Trump. And let me tell you, I am so glad that she proved me wrong.

Thursday night, Ivanka proudly stood in front of the world and discussed matters of women in the work force, the LGBT community, inclusion of ethnicities and success – just to name a few. She was more of a character witness for her father who considers her as one of his most trusted advisers, but she also brought a lot of information to the table that I didn’t know.

For example, I had no idea that gender is no longer the biggest factor in wage differences between men and women, motherhood is. She pointed out, “Women represent 46 percent of the total U.S. labor force, and 40 percent of American households have female primary breadwinners. In 2014, women made 83 cents for every dollar made by a man. Single women without children earn 94 cents for each dollar earned by a man, whereas married mothers made only 77 cents.”

Isn’t that just crazy?

As the RNC continues day by day, my respect for Mr. Trump’s family grows a little bit more and more. But nothing beats Thursday night when Ivanka Trump quoted the following from her father,

“‘Ivanka, if you’re going to be thinking anyway, you might as well think big.”

I was hooked.

What an inspirational quote for anyone to hear – especially for someone like me, a female from the millennial generation making her way into college and eventually the business world. Thinking big and making change is what brought prosperity to this nation in the first place. It’s what gave us electricity, women the right to vote, technology like our cell phones and hover boards and even the Constitution that gave us the rights to speak freely, live freely and love freely. We are a nation and a people built on thinking big.

The more I researched Ivanka, the more I loved her.

Besides being the Executive Vice President of Development & Acquisitions at the Trump Organization, Ivanka is a mother of three and has expanded her career into fashion, modeling and television. She was educated at Georgetown University and eventually graduated cum laude from Wharton with a B.S in economics (wow). She is the founder of IvankaTrump.com as well as Women Who Work, an online source and book for women who want to stay on top of their business skills, employ-ability and professionalism in today's modern work force.

She also made a statement that I think perfectly encapsulates how a majority of Americans are feeling when it comes to the seemingly drastic nature of both of our potential presidents.

“Like many of my fellow millennials, I do not consider myself categorically Republican or Democrat. More than party affiliation, I vote on based on what I believe is right, for my family and for my country. Sometimes it’s a tough choice.”

This has been a very trying year for America. We’ve seen heartbreak, despair, unrelenting hatred, as well as deplorable actions and words coming from every corner of our nation,and the world. And I think that Ivanka’s quote here is important. We get too tied up in what we’re supposed to vote on or who we’re supposed to vote for because of our party lines. We’ve dismissed everything our first president, George Washington, said and have deeply divided our nation – separating ourselves for the sake of argument.

Sometimes we just need to take a step back, and see (in the long run) what our nation needs. What will get us out of this depression? Whether that’s Trump, Clinton or someone else – we need to figure it out. Which is why I think Ivanka’s quote to think big is so important.

Americans need to think big; think big picture; think big ideas and find a new path to success.