My grandparents were members of the same generation. My grandfather joined the army as a teenager, drove a taxi at night to work his way through college, worked building railroad tracks during the summer, got married during the great depression, and raised children during WWII. He worked hard, but never stopped learning. In his 50s he changed careers and became a stock broker. He never lived extravagantly, but saved up enough to retire comfortably, partly because he was always studying, learning, and adjusting to changes in the economy.

But as great as that generation was, I have high hopes for the current generation of college students. They didn’t live through a major recession until now, but they have the same positive outlook and will learn from this downturn. Many have served in combat or want to serve the country in other ways — teaching, volunteering, and helping make the world better any way they can. They have hope, and will help pull us all through. Maybe they will become the next great generation!