I am a 19-year-old, white, heterosexual, able-bodied ciswoman and a Millennial. Many people I know view me as radically liberal. I believe that poverty is the symptom of institutionalized inequality, that climate change is one of the greatest problems of our time, that every person has the right to an education, to heath care, to housing, and to food security, and I believe that underlying a vast majority of the problems our nation faces is systemic patriarchy, racism, homophobia, xenophobia, and other forms of prejudice. Most people, when they hear this set of beliefs, would assume I am an avid supporter of Bernie Sanders. Although I think he is an immensely respectable politician and person, I am not.

Come my state’s primary election, I am going to cast my ballot for Hillary Rodham Clinton. I am anxiously excited to do so, and frankly, I am very tired of apologizing for that decision. Being that Bernie commands a drastic lead over Hillary in citizens aged 18-24, most of the time when I tell people why I am voting for Secretary Clinton, I am met with hostility and condescension. So let me use this platform to explain why I am so passionately #readyforhillary, so maybe we can all understand each other a little better.

1. Hillary’s early life speaks a lot to who she is as a person.

She graduated from Wellesley College where she was elected to be the first ever speaker at graduation (the speech which landed her in Life magazine because of her criticism of Republican Senator Edward Brooke of Massachusetts), graduated at the top of her class at Yale law school, and instead of taking a fancy job at a corporate law

firm, she took a job with the Children’s Defense Fund to advocate for women, children, and families. She did all this before women could even get a credit card without a man’s signature. When she moved to Arkansas with Bill, she made partner at the Rose Law firm (and fun fact, making more money than Bill was when he entered office). She was appointed to Staff of the House Judiciary Committee on Watergate and was appointed by Jimmy Carter to the board of the Legal Service Corporation. This is just the beginning of her singularly qualified resume and life story, and displays her ambition, ability to achieve her goals, and commitment to equality.

2. She has a plan.

Every single one of Hillary’s proposals is clearly outlined and logically thought through. Her policy proposals are not just an excerpt from a stump speech recited at every campaign event. She outlines a plan to reach the cure to Alzheimers, for Automatic Voter Registration to eliminate voter discrimination, to tackle campus sexual assault, to make college debt-free, and more. More than just having the policies, she’s already prepared to get them through Congress. With a Republican controlled House and Senate, it is unlikely any of Bernie’s or Hillary’s policies would make it to the President’s desk with a truly progressive impact. That’s why she has already raised $18 million to support Democratic candidacies across the country. Bernie has not raised any money for this purpose. He has very good ideology, however right now he has no practical leverage to implement them in our country. Hillary does.

3. Because I am a feminist.

This is probably controversial to many feminists because it implies I am voting for her solely because of her gender, and given Gloria Steneim’s and Madeleine Albright’s recent comments it is a hot button statement. I am not voting for her because of her gender, but because she has tirelessly fought for women’s issues. Hillary was one of the first powerful feminists I was exposed to growing up, and reading about her life and accomplishments made me want to enter public service. There is a feminist generational gap (personally I’d call it a backlash) when it comes to Hillary. Much of it has to do with the valid opinion that Hillary’s brand of feminism isn’t intersectional, due to her previous contributions to the diminishment of TANF and her husband’s hand in the prison industrial complex. These are legitimate issues, but I believe that if you are in the political limelight for more than three decades, discrepancies such as these are bound to happen. It doesn’t make them excusable, however it absolutely calls for actions that will provide reparations for previous detrimental stances. If you look at her platform, Hillary supports many policies that would support women who are not white, able-bodied, cisgendered and heterosexual. This includes the Automatic Voter Registration plan, expansion on disability and LGBT rights, criminal justice reform, immigration reform, and attention to rural communities in America. All these reforms are able to pass through Congress in order to improve the lives of all Americans.

4. Because she is an embattled politician.

Can you think of a single politician who has been attacked more than Hillary Clinton? Who’s every hairstyle has been analyzed, every pantsuit, every laugh, every statement? Can you think of anyone else in politics who has had to withstand multiple House Judiciary Committees, all for hours on end, and who has gotten through them with poise and preparedness? Can you think of another politician who has been both entrenched in domestic politics, in the executive and legislative branches, and also in chief position of international affairs? Who has handled treaties, ceasefires, greenhouse gas emissions limitations, and economic turmoil on the international scale? Can you think of another candidate who has been blasted with millions of dollars of attacks by the opposing party, while their opponent has been neglected or even protected from criticism? Do you think, if she wasn’t really committed, she would submit herself to the critique and attacks she has faced in only these few months? I can’t. I want a president who can handle this and more.

This is why I support Hillary Rodham Clinton. I do not apologize for doing so, and I am tired of this being a subversive stance to millennials in the Democratic Party. We all want a better America, and we all have our reasons. These are mine.