You have graduated from college, now what? This question looms large for the class of 2020 as they face a global pandemic, few jobs, and a shaky political climate. In this week’s Thought Leader Series, The Optimist Daily founding impact investor Rinaldo Brutoco pens a letter of support to the class of 2020 filled with empathy, a touch of humor, and some answers for those who may be scratching their head as to what to do once they take off that cap and gown. 

When 21-year-old Benjamin Braddock returns home after graduating from college in the 1967 classic The Graduate, his father assures him “there is a great future in plastics.” Although we 21st-century viewers may laugh at the irony of this statement given the plastic pollution crisis we face today, this line speaks volumes about how industry and society can shift over just a few decades. 

So if you’ve graduated and are unclear on which path to take forward, use your time to enact positive change so that the perils of today do not plague the world of the future. Brutoco urges graduates to vote! Vote to heal the planet, promote justice, and spur economic reform. Use your time and voice to create a sustainable future for all because although the current crises will not last forever, the next is just around the corner and we have the power to create a more resilient world that is prepared to meet it.