An Open Letter to Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States:

Mr. Obama, I write to you on behalf of the impassioned youth of America. Because while today is a historic day, it is not nearly as important as the months and years to come.

Now I am by no means a spokesperson for my generation, but my appeal is for our benefit. For just a few months ago, we were looked down upon as apathetic. Thanks in no small part to the catastrophe that was the Bush presidency, many people my age had grown prematurely jaded and cynical. Our activism was a Facebook activism; our protests were sporadic and fleeting.

But then you came along. You preached hope and change and showed a genuine appreciation for the youth of this country, something we hadn’t before seen from a politician. In response, we gave you our faith, our energy and our optimism. We campaigned for you, we voted for you and on the night of Nov. 4, we celebrated.

But we didn’t just celebrate you. Across the country, from New York City to Chicago to Los Angeles, people rejoiced in what they had accomplished. See it wasn’t just your victory, it was our victory. You had given people a sense of ownership in your campaign, and it worked spectacularly.

At Grant Park that night, I was struck by how empowered everyone seemed. There were thousands and thousands of people – Americans of every age, class and ethnicity – all euphoric because as far as they were concerned, they had just won the presidency.

So my charge to you, Mr. Obama, is to please come through for us. We have placed all of our trust in you, and now it is time for you to reward our faith.

There is so much that needs to be done. Our economy is in shambles, the environment is in peril and we are engaged in two wars, to name only a few of the challenges we face. We do not expect you to solve these problems on your own, and the young people of this country are ready to come together and restore the nation our corrupt predecessors left for us.

It is up to you, however, to lead us in a manner that shows the noble politician is not yet extinct. You gave us hope that we can make a difference and bring progress to America. And in the coming months, you must reassure us that you meant what you said in your campaign, or the newly inspired may well wind up back on the couch eating Doritos.

True progress, as you well know, requires a catalyst. The New Deal was the answer to the Great Depression, and the Civil Rights movement didn’t really get underway until Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat. I believe that now, with your election, we are at one of those moments of progress. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity we have before us, and I assure you that if you deliver on your promise and bring true reform to Washington, we will act and make the change this country needs to fulfill its incredible potential.

We are the next great generation, and today is our inauguration.