When I envisioned my “mini commencement address,” I imagined talking about my struggles with mental health, my MANY major switches, or possibly the organizations that impacted me in unbelievable ways. However, I realized all of those potential topics actually had a common theme—change.

Whether you embrace it or detest it, change is inevitable. And the Class of 2020 is no stranger to this truth. We began our college years with one of the most polarizing elections in history and ended it with a pandemic. No end-of-year celebrations, no graduation, no proper goodbyes.

And yet we adapted to this new online learning environment. We adapted to hosting events digitally. We adapted to a new normal. And that’s what the Class of 2020 has always done.

We adapted as middle school students, when the economy collapsed and some of our parents (like mine) lost jobs.

We adapted to the reality that our little sisters and brothers could be killed in class. We have always rolled with the punches.

Our “normal” will never be the same, and that’s okay. It needs to change and for good reason. The injustice and the systematic oppressions that this country has put upon the Black community must be changed NOW. The lack of gun control must be changed NOW. The culture surrounding sexual assault and blatant disrespect towards survivors must be changed NOW. The lack of care for our planet and its deathly effect on deprived communities must be changed NOW.

And as vast as these issues may be, they are all connected in its root of injustice. If college teaches us anything, it’s that changing mindsets and adjusting to new situations is critical to our success. But we can’t only change inward and stop there. We have the power to make change outwardly when we come together despite our differences.

Shaista Macan-Markar earned her degree in economics with a minor in political science and will be working as a developmental program analyst with PNC.