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B R O W N  |  B E C O M I N G
Y O U N G  A D U L T S

I first knew I was living in unprecedented times in 
2008 when I was 5 years old, sitting in my living room 
watching the first Black man be elected president. I do 
not remember the moment very well, but my family was 
thrilled, and I knew that something monumental had 
just taken place. I didn't think I would spend another 
14 years living through unprecedented times, none of 
which were positive.  

 
Racial injustice, climate change, gun violence, the 
Covid-19 pandemic, recessions, gender inequality, a 
failing education system, inequitable healthcare, and 
immigration are just a few of the unprecedented times 
that have shaped my life. Navigating young adulthood 
during these times has been more challenging than I 
would like to admit. I always envisioned my young adult 
years being full of self-discovery and exploration—and 
they have been. Still, I must admit that I heavily think 
about our world as it stands now and how I can navigate 
it to live the best life possible. It does not feel good 
existing in a system designed for me to fail or being 
unsure when the following infectious disease will force 
daily life to come to a screeching halt. I do not want 
to turn on the television and see another community 
reeling from the effects of gun violence. Furthermore, 
graduating from college during a recession is not ideal. 
And experiencing the effects of climate change in real-
time and watching world leaders refuse to commit to 
saving the planet is something I will never understand.  
These have been the conditions that have shaped my 
perspectives and my decision-making. I smile and 

nod when older generations say that my generation 
"will change the world" or that they have "faith in my 
generation." It is a career goal of mine, and many that 
I know, to change and improve systems like education, 
healthcare, gun control, and the criminal justice system. 
We were taught to leave things better than we found 
them, and that is what we intend to do; however, we 
cannot change the world on our own. It requires a 
collective effort from older and future generations. It 
requires those with old ways of thinking to open their 
minds or step aside.  

 
My generation has been granted the invaluable power 
of knowing better, and we plan to do better. Still, we 
cannot push against the brick wall that is backward 
thinking by people who refuse to turn over positions 
of power to the next generation. We have been asked 
to adapt and evolve throughout our lives. We adjusted 
to the pandemic and went to school under the threat 
of gun violence. We have adjusted to floods and fires 
destroying our communities. We have inherited a world 
full of flaws, and I do not want to spend my life fixing 
problems I did not create. I want to notice and feel the 
positive changes in our society. This does not mean the 
world will be rid of all its problems, but we can stop 
fighting for fundamental human rights like education, 
healthcare, and safety. It means that everyone has a fair 
opportunity to live a life they can be proud of and turn 
that opportunity into a reality.  

 

Becoming a Young Adult During 
Unprecedented Times  

Author
JORDAN BROWN, Butler University



B R O W N  |  B E C O M I N G
Y O U N G  A D U L T S

40

An essential characteristic of my generation is that we 
are not hopeless. These are issues that will not be fixed 
overnight, maybe not even in our lifetimes, but that 
doesn't mean we will not work to create a better world. 
One of the biggest lessons I was taught growing up, 
which I still carry with me, is that life will continue with 
or without you. Why waste time idly standing by when 
we could grab on and steer the world in the direction we 
want it to go in? 

 

ENGAGE!  |  st u d e n t  vo i c e s




