In the spring of 2012, through the University’s Illinois in Washington program, I worked as an intern in Washington, D.C., for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. This time, just one short year ago, you may have found me on the underground train, rushing back and forth between the Capitol Building and the Hart Senate Office Building. Or maybe you would have found me sitting in the Gallery, watching congressmen discuss and debate whether a bill should become a law. Or maybe simply eating lunch with some of my best friends on the Capitol lawn under the cherry blossoms or in the Senate cafeteria discussing our current workload.

For four months, the U.S. Capitol Building was not just the building where congressmen worked or a place for the president to be inaugurated. It was my office. In my free time, I would walk through the halls and try to take that in. I was not just a visiting tourist but a working woman who could one day make a positive difference for other Americans in the not too distance future.

I lead with this because President Barack Obama was sworn in as president Jan. 21 in front of the Capitol Building — the same building where I once worked, ate and laughed with my friends and co-workers. The building that for a brief period of time made me feel like an adult, made me feel like I had a positive future to work toward.

And because that building for me symbolizes hope for my future, I thought it was fitting that his speech encompassed that same feeling and it should for you too. About 1 million fewer people made their way to the National Mall and Capitol lawn than they did four years ago. Back then the word hope was constantly thrown around in casual conversation because that was what the new administration meant for so many people. But now, we must keep moving forward.

In his speech, he spoke of the war and he spoke of the spirit once held back when this country was born. He spoke of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness being real for every American. He spoke of brighter futures for everyone young and old, of available health care and of the deficit.

He also spoke of the journey created by our Founding Fathers. One we need to continue and complete such as equal pay for women, which, to my surprise, is still an issue. If two people have the exact same job, who is to say the male deserves more money than the equally capable female? But I digress.

He also acknowledged the realities of climate change when the election ignored it entirely. Even while some people may continue to deny its existence, it is impossible to ignore the disasters it has caused such as fires and storms. Or the ever increasing temperatures. While it may have been well below freezing this week in the Midwest, 2012 was one of the warmest on record.

This country needs to start relying on sustainable energy. Without it, we not only set a poor example for other countries, but we harm ourselves and future generations to come. We as a generation and a country can do better and will do better. There are other options to transport oils throughout the country outside of a giant pipeline. I think this administration — without the worries of another election — can help find a way.

But my favorite line from the speech would have to be the following: “Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to another must be equal as well.” And for the president of the United States to say that, is reason enough for hope. Equality for all, no matter the sexual orientation, is our generation’s civil rights movement. More and more people do not care if two men or two women want to get married. Shouldn’t our government reflect the feelings of its citizens? Our country needs to strive for equality. That is one journey I think we can complete within our generation.

Finally, as the camera panned out over the crowd to show hopeful American citizens clapping, cheering and filming away on their iPads, I could not help but smile. While I cannot distinguish if my happiness came from laughing at the lady with the iPad, my memories or the hope of a bright future or a combination of them all, I do know there is a reason to look forward to the upcoming years. There really is reason to hope for a greener, more equal future. And that, is pretty awesome.

Joanna is a senior in LAS. She can be reached at [email protected].