Joe Biden elected as 46th president of the U.S. is the beacon of hope we need

After the more than 74 million votes received (which is more than any other presidential candidate), President-elect Joseph R. Biden defeated Donald J. Trump to become the 46th President of the United States.He lined himself into position to lead a country that has been struck with a historic pandemic riddled with economics and social turmoil that has plagued the nation.

His victory —which many of us were anxiously awaiting—came after more than three days of uncertainty as election officials sorted through an enormous amount of mail-in votes that delayed the process of some ballots. Biden ultimately exceeded 270 Electoral College votes, which was all I needed to see.

While the vote count played out, Biden also helped ease tension, projecting an image of presidential leadership that encompasses unity, calming the waters of a divided nation. This effectively allowed voters, such as myself and my loved ones, to trust the process as he received pivotal victories in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.

In his Delaware speech last night, one line Biden said that really stuck out to me was, "we have to remember the purpose of our politics, the work of our nation, isn't to fan the flames of conflict, but guarantee justice, to give everybody a fair shot."

As someone who wasn't always given a fair shot at many things in life, it made me misty-eyed to hear him say that so earnestly.

Moreover, it's also worth noting that Kamala Harris has made history as the first Black and South-East Asian woman to become Vice President-elect, a well-respected achievement for U.S. history as the nation faces a reckoning on racial justice. She will also become the highest-ranking woman ever in government, four years after Trump defeated Hillary Clinton.

All in all, I have a lot of hope that Biden's presidency will lead this country into a new era of honesty, integrity, and equality for everyone regardless of the color of your skin or economic standing.

For the first time in four years, I feel really proud to be an American.