This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Molloy chapter.

This is a real “Thanks, Obama.” Not one of those funny jokes where you thank the man for the reason of the most random things that happen in your life. Real thanks, for being such a great man and president. We have just found out who our next president will be this upcoming year, Donald Trump. I know a lot of people have certain feelings about our next president and a lot has been said about him in the media, but let’s just send a huge thank you to President Barack Obama.

I wasn’t old enough to vote for Barack Obama in 2008 or again in 2012. I remember when he was elected and reelected. His campaign slogans always involved “Yes We Can!” “Hope,” “Change We Need,” and “Change We Can Believe In.” These caught my eye and kept me feeling positive about the direction of our country. To live during the time where we had our first African American president is simply amazing. It just shows it doesn’t matter what race, gender, religion you are, you can achieve anything you set your mind to.

Recently Obama was featured in a post on Instagram done by @humansofny. This Instagram account posts pictures of people or places with a caption on the bottom of the photo telling a story. On Obama’s post, it shows a picture of the President in deep thought with the caption describing when he ran for Congress and lost, dealing with a family and a full-time job, and maintaining a set goal. At the end of the post- Obama states “There’s always something to be done.” That very last sentence is very motivating. The President wants us to remember that when trying to meet the goal of succeeding at life, there is always room for improvement- always something to get done and to always push forward for. The post is very inspirational and you can just feel how passionate President Barack Obama is with getting things done for his people. He is such an inspiring man with a kind heart.

Setting aside all your political views or views in general about Obama, you have to admit he is one funny, cool guy. He is always positive. He has to be one of the coolest presidents we have ever had. He is such a great role model, both him and his family. There have been zero scandals, his daughters have grown up to be beautiful young ladies, and his wife, Michelle Obama slays. The way she carries herself, the way she speaks, the way she stands next to her man, and how she raised her daughters in her arms is amazing. The Obama family has been classy since day one.

I want to thank Obama for being who he is. He promotes all positive things, such as equality for all and acceptance for all people. I am grateful for what he has done and the messages he conveys. Even though his term is coming to an end, he will always be someone I will look up to. I hope he continues to help our country grow and work with our new future president to do so. In these last couple of weeks, I am positive he will continue to promote his messages of peace, love, and equality. This coming January will be a rough one for me to say goodbye, but I just want to say thanks, Obama. Thank you for being an inspiration to not only me but also to the fellow Americans who feel the same. Thank you for being the perfect example of following your dreams, your goals, and by defeating all the odds and stereotypes. You are the man.

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A Real “Thanks Obama”

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