For the past six months the most pressing, dramatic and significant news broadcasted by all major news outlets has been concerned with the impending presidential election. As Election Day rolls around the corner, I’ve noticed the passionate polarity in my community. I’ve seen lawn signs, bumper stickers and even T-shirts endorsing one candidate or the other. In general, there is  excitement and anticipation in the air. However, as we vote on our country’s future, I can’t help but feel sad that the Obama era is coming to an end.

President Obama took office when I was just beginning my elementary school education. In that election year, history was made when Indiana turned blue for the first time in over 40 years. To this day, I still remember the headline on CNN-“FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT” flashing on the screen  the day he won. I never thought that one headline would change my life as much as it did. Although it may seem like a far-fetched concept, I truly believe that Obama, as Commander in Chief of our country, played a huge role in shaping my personality and outlook on life. It’s kind of like how we think the behavior of a child is a reflection of his or her parents. Similarly, I’ve come to the conclusion that the citizens of a nation are oftentimes a reflection of that country’s leader. In this way, I feel Obama has molded me to be the citizen I am today. Here is a tribute to how Obama’s behaviors, actions and words shaped more than just policies and foreign relationships; they shaped lives.

Let’s start with his background story. He was born to a white mother and a black father. He was raised in Indonesia and Hawaii. Moreover, he was a black child raised in a predominantly white family. In fact, he even wrote about his identity struggles in his book Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance. I, and I’m sure many of my peers especially, connect with him and these struggles. For example, I grew up in a very small town on the northern tip of West Virginia where just under 100 percent of the students at my school were white. As a daughter of immigrants, I faced a struggle of identity myself. Seeing Obama, who didn’t seem to fit in all that well either, reach the very tip of success gave me hope and confidence in myself.

People said he was all talk and no action. And although he could not keep all of his promises, he did make a difference. Even I, as an 8-year-old, who knew little about politics kept cheering for him.

The amount of care and reasoning Obama held in every issue dealing with terrorist attacks helped this little 8-year-old be confident in herself. As a practicing Muslim, I realize more than anyone the impact hateful rhetoric has on people who are ignorant and don’t know better. Thank you, Mr. President,  for refusing to use the phase radical Islamists whenever you speak about Muslims. Although, I’m older now and this kind of rhetoric does not affect me as much. I couldn’t imagine being an 8-year-old being bullied for being Muslim in school.

I want to thank you  for being the  best you could be in the last eight years. I cannot imagine anyone else in your place.

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Manahil Nadeem at mnadeem@hilite.org.