Secretary Clinton,

First and foremost, I want to thank you for being one of the most influential women in the history of America. Your hopeful message resonates with millions of people from all over the world, reminding them that America is, contrary to the results of the election, a land of freedom and opportunity.

Your words of concession conveyed the utmost respect and gratitude. Although having faced a devastating election loss, you continued to remind many of us that the impossible is not at all unattainable. Although you were often challenged by your opponent, you stated, “We have seen that our nation is more deeply divided than we thought. But I still believe in America and I always will. And if you do, then we must accept this result and then look to the future. Donald Trump is going to be our president. We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead.”

It should be noted that Mr. Trump’s campaign was undeniably built on a foundation of bigotry, misogyny, and small-mindedness vilified through his treatment of women and physically handicapped, the Khan family, and his stance on immigration. In my viewpoint,  his campaign inspired fear while, for me, your campaign inspired hope. As Americans, we will come together and we will give him a chance to lead our country; however, we cannot forget the significance of his words and actions nor your words and actions.

I can assure you, beyond doubt, that your loss, for the millions that voted for you, is also our loss. Your hopes are our hopes, and your dreams are our dreams.

As a seventeen-year-old girl that attends a female-centered high school, your message reflected those of many of my peers. Your message motivated many women to think deeper, and to evaluate a person not by their gender, color of skin, ethnicity, social status, or sexual orientation, but on who the person is as an individual.

On the morning after the election, I expected my mother to wake me up for school and say “we did it!” When she told me the results, I, as well as a large portion of the country, was perplexed and saddened. How is it that a country that had recently made immense progress is now threatened, not by an outside force, but by a force within?

It seems to me that I live in a bubble of acceptance and toleration, which, undoubtedly, explains my confusion. Before the election process, I assumed the rest of the country grew up in similar ways in which I did. I should probably mention at this point that I grew up in Park Ridge, Illinois, just two blocks from your childhood home.

As a young girl, I attended your school, Field School, a school that continues to support and honor your message. It is a fact that I must confess takes strength to accept that, seemingly a large portion of the country, does not hold the same ideals of equality and acceptance. But with great strides we move toward the future, and hope for a better tomorrow. We have come too far, thanks to you, to turn away now.

When I moved towns to a different high school, I was again reminded constantly of the importance of your work. My school believes heavily in women’s leadership and how, one day, the glass ceiling will be shattered once and for all. I believe that your work is responsible for some of the biggest strides in women’s rights in the history of the world. You have made it further in the presidential process than any woman before you. It is impossible to adequately put into words what your campaign has meant to me and other young women and men. I can only hope that the nation will continue to understand the importance of everything you have striven and fought for.

You remain my champion.

Yours truly,

Gillian King