Well, here we are. 

As Americans make their way to the polls today, the very fate of our nation hangs in the balance.

This past year has been a period of crisis where Americans have adjusted to life during a pandemic. 

We have attempted to make sense of a country where certain citizens are murdered unjustly, rights are being taken away and violence is feared. Washington D.C. has begun boarding up the white house waiting for the election results to ensue chaos.

In other words, it has been one heck of a year — but I don’t need to tell you that — you have lived it, just like me. 

With all the change this country has experienced in the past year, I think it is important to acknowledge the silent survivors of this year. 

Members of Generation Z are the very future of this country and those who have proven they have more power than anyone has ever given them credit for.

From 2020 high school graduates not having their graduation ceremony, to elementary and college students trying to navigate online learning, Gen Z has been affected by this year more significantly than any other generation.

Research has shown the oldest members of Gen Z have been particularly hit by the COVID-19 crisis. More than half of Gen Z members ages 18 to 23 reported they or someone they know lost their job due to the outbreak. 

Young workers are often more vulnerable to job loss because they are overrepresented in high-risk industries.

But even though it feels like the world’s sole purpose is to crush Gen Z, we have fought back against every adversary we face. 

After all, the Marjory Stoneman Douglas school shooting survivors pulled off a national protest, which had thousands of students all over the country protesting gun violence, and Greta Thunberg — a teenage climate activist from Sweden — has inspired massive youth-led protests.

If there is anyone who can save this country it is Gen Z.

Gen Z is on its way to becoming the most educated and racially diverse generation. Gen Z members are getting involved in politics and social issues younger than many generations before them and they don’t look like they are slowing down.

No matter who wins this election, the U.S. will yet again be thrown into chaos and no one thrives in this chaos more than Gen Z. 

The results of this election will not signal the end of the fight for social and political change because if we know anything, Gen Z will fight for what they want and they will win.

Hinrichs can be reached at [email protected].