Dear Future President,

I am concerned about the years ahead. There are some moments in time when I think about what could happen between the next four to eight years. 

Over the past month or so, my grandfather has been in and out of the hospital nonstop. My grandparents live in a very small town about two hours away form us, so when my parents heard he was being rushed to the ER, they left. He stayed at the hospital for over a week but was told to go home after receiving antibiotics for an infection. Long story made short, my grandpa is still sick and now he is in a different hospital, much closer to us. My parents and I went to visit him and I couldn't help but notice the staff. 

Many people talk about racism, saying African Americans are causing trouble in the streets, but in all reality its the human being that is committing the crime, not the culture. As my family was frantically searching for my grandpa's room, we had many staff members helped us. Walking down the halls of the hospital, I noticed lots of African American men and women. They were all very helpful, guiding us through halls and talking to patients. They were so respectful to all of us, even when others were not so respectful to them. My grandpa laid in his bed looking miserably sick, but when the nurses helped him into the ICU, they made him laugh and smile.

I've seen so many videos on the news about African American children in schools. All of the stories seem to focus on the culture causing trouble, but it is not them, it is how they are raised. If your parents raised you to behave in class, then that's what you will do. If your parents do not care about how you present yourself or how you act, then you may or may not do what you are asked. 

Like I said earlier, I do have multiple concerns. I'm just starting my ninth week of high school, and I'm already stressing about college. My parents aren't sure where they want to live, and frankly neither am I. After researching collages in my home state and in others, I'm really not sure what to do. I've calculated costs of books, supplies, dorm rooms, classes, and food, but I keep asking myself the same question. How am I supposed to afford going to college and not be drowned by student debt. I've been saving for a while now, and it hasn't made much of a difference. I want to choose my path, not wait last minute to see if I can even afford it.

The great Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." I am not ready for the end. I may only be 15 years old, but my opinion matters. I am a part of this world, I am a citizen of the United States of America, and most importantly I am the future.