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Hillary Clinton recently gave what is sure to be her infamous “18 million cracks in the ceiling” concession speech, suspending her campaign for the U.S. presidency and acknowledging Barack Obama’s win. What is remarkable is that some Americans will remember that it was only a matter of decades ago when women and African Americans couldn’t even vote.

Many people would never have imagined that in 2008 we would have a woman and a black man running for president, each with a real chance of winning. Since her concession speech, the media has continually asked, “What does Hillary want?”

Whether she wants it or not — though, I’m sure that she doesn’t mind — Hillary will always be a role model for many women of both political affiliations: from older women who never thought they’d see a woman rise as high in politics as Hillary has to the younger girls who will grow up having seen a perfect example of a woman who has succeeded in a game historically played by men.

The phrase “you can be anything you want” will have new meaning to a new generation of Americans. Whether we agree with Hillary’s political positions or not, it is impossible to deny that she has gone farther than many people expected possible of a woman, and never again should we have to ask if it is possible for a woman to be president.

Likewise, the now official Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama also has raised the bar for African Americans, showing them that anything is attainable with a lot of hard work and sacrifice. Admittedly, it will never be easy for another woman or another African American to rise to such heights without facing plenty of controversy and discrimination, but Barack and Hillary have made it just that much easier for the next generation.

Instead of thinking that it will be too hard to become a doctor, many young black children will remember how Barack Obama worked hard to become a contender for the presidency. Instead of wondering if they will be able to climb the corporate ladder in a male-dominated business, many young girls will remember how Hillary Clinton got 18 million votes in a primary many people didn’t think she was capable of winning.

Instead of bowing their heads to the prejudices they may face, young Asian Americans, young Latinos, and other young minorities will realize that everything is now possible to an American if they work hard and dream big.

Yes, there will be hardships to overcome, as both of these two candidates have proven. Yes, there will be people who you cannot win over, as both candidates would surely admit. Yes, there will always be people who will never want you to succeed, no matter how hard you work. But Hillary and Barack have proven that IT is possible, whatever IT may be for each person.

Just as Hillary stated in her recent concession speech, she and Barack are both working to achieve a once impossible ideal, to have “no acceptable limits and... no acceptable prejudices in the 21st century.”

Hillary’s concession speech to Barack was by no means a speech of defeat. Even though Hillary is no longer in the race to be the Democratic candidate, she has by no means lost, and America has not lost. In fact, we’ve only been made all the better.

Samantha Ladwig is a senior at Onalaska High School.