It was a brutal and exhausting election cycle. Leading up to Election Day was a tough run for many. By November 8th, many Americans were still on the fence about whom their votes will go to. In fact, many American voters had already decided not to cast votes at all.   

I followed the election process from the time of the first primary last spring right up to Election Day. I believed then, and I believe just as strongly today, that there was only one candidate who has consistently shown real ability to lead the American people. That candidate is our President-elect, Donald J. Trump.

I am not saying that Trump is a perfect candidate. Even the most enthusiastic Trump supporters would like to change certain characteristics of his. Donald Trump is human and has flaws. However, I think his flaws have been made so much more evident under the regular microscope of the media since even before the first primary. But I can confidently say that I stand by the decision of the American people who are willing to look past these flaws to the man with promise, the man who can guide our country to a greater future.

Trump isn’t just a big business chairman turned politician. He is a brand – a name that suggests strength and determination and vision.

The name Trump is one I have a real connection with. My father is an employee at Trump National Hudson Valley, a golf club. Before Trump committed to trying to win the Republican nomination, he was invested in the success of his multiple businesses. He was regularly found at Trump Hudson Valley. My dad, along with other employees, described Donald Trump as very generous and caring. Another characteristic that was commonly discussed was Mr. Trump’s humility in regard to his work. He regularly asked the employees what he could do better to improve the management of the club. Yes, Donald Trump asked his employees what he could do to improve. The Donald Trump I am familiar with is very different than the man characterized by the media as an impulsive bigot.

After months of closely following this election, I struggled to find articles or broadcasts that reflected the positive characteristics or the promise of the President-elect. He was portrayed as a “dictator” and as the president who will drive us into World War III. I could find little coverage of the millions of dollars he raised or contributed to charities such as the Wounded Warrior Project. There was no headline celebrating the $20 million donation he made to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for terminally ill patients. Apparently, Donald Trump’s generosity and compassion pale in comparison to coverage of his hair or his tweets.  

I’m going away to college in less than a year and I will enter the workforce in about five or six years. I am planning to establish a professional career in the field of business. Right now, business majors are faltering, their futures are cloudy, they are struggling to find their place in the world of commerce.  But with such a successful and significant business mind entering the White House in January, I can be confident that there will be real opportunities for me and for all young Americans who enter the workforce with their hopes of forging diverse career paths.   

Some of Trump’s big plans are already gaining traction. He is prepared to act, he is assembling his cabinet and is anxious to get to work. He has made clear some of his ideas for reform: his sweeping tax reforms, which will simplify the tax code and lower taxes on the middle class; his immigration policies which will discourage undocumented immigration; his promise to secure the southern border which will deter illegal drug and human trafficking; and his plan to transform failing urban locales into thriving, commercially successful cities.

Donald J. Trump is the man who will lead us to the realization of this great country’s potential and return us to our status as the most powerful nation in the world – the land of the American Dream.