While it’s amazing, powerful and inspiring to see Hillary Clinton rise to become America’s first female presidential candidate, I can’t help but wish it wasn’t. I wish this was something our nation had seen before now. I wish we had progressed further in our fight for gender equality.

Wishes, however, won’t get us anywhere now, all we can do is vote. As a young woman, I am thrilled and inspired to see Hillary Clinton finally take this step for all women, one that should’ve been taken years ago. As an American citizen, a voter, I am happy to see a person, gender aside, who has political experience, a ceaseless drive and a well formed agenda for the growth of our great nation. These are the things we need to be paying attention to in the coming months as other presidential hopefuls, one in particular, loom in the shadows. Hopefully other voters can do the same.