When I look at America, I see ordinary people doing extraordinary good

NEPHI — What you look for is what you’ll find. If you only look for the bad in America, you’ll see it — the arguments, the mistakes, the divisions. But if you look for the good, it’s everywhere.

I see it in the little things: when someone holds the door open for a stranger, when my neighbors help each other during hard times, when my teachers stay late to help their students succeed, and when soldiers, police officers, and firefighters risk their lives every day to protect people they’ve never even met. Those small acts of goodness — that’s what America really is. It’s the spirit of ordinary people doing extraordinary things, not for fame, but because it’s right.

I have seen this spirit firsthand in my own life. After wildfires swept through Utah this year, I went to the small town of Eureka to help make sandbags so families could protect their homes from flooding. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with others to safeguard a community wasn’t about politics or background — it was simply about helping neighbors in need.

I felt that same connection when my cross country team ran in a 9/11 fun run. Even though none of us were alive when the 9/11 terrorist attacks happened, running together was our way to honor the first responders and remember how our country unified in the face of tragedy. It showed me that the lessons of American strength, honor, and sacrifice carry on through every generation.

When we come together as a nation, we do incredible things. We stood up to tyranny and helped save the world in World War II. We ended slavery and fought for civil rights so that freedom could truly belong to everyone. We put a man on the moon — not because it was easy, but because Americans don’t back down from a challenge. Even today, when disaster strikes, Americans show up. We rebuild, we volunteer, and we give what we can because that’s who we are.

America isn’t perfect — no country is. But what makes America different is that we don’t give up. We learn, we grow, and we keep fighting to live up to the ideals we were built on: freedom, equality, and hope.

That’s why I believe America is the greatest country in the world. No matter how tough things get, the American spirit never dies. We keep dreaming, we keep pushing forward, and we keep believing in something bigger than ourselves. What you look for is what you’ll find, and when I look at America, I see courage, kindness, and a nation still shining, strong, and free. That’s what America means to me.

Note to readers • This contest was produced by The Salt Lake Tribune, Spy Hop and Amplify Utah. It was supported through a grant from the American Journalism Project.