One Nation. One Destiny. One America

One of the unexpected blessings of traveling is meeting people whose stories remind you what truly makes America exceptional.

Recently, I traveled to Washington, D.C., for the premiere of Young Washington and to attend a meeting with Secretary Linda McMahon at the U.S. Department of Education. As Founder of The 917 Society, I spend much of my time talking about the importance of Constitution education and civic responsibility. Little did I know that one of the most memorable conversations of the trip would happen in the back seat of an Uber.

My driver was a young man in his thirties from South Africa.

As we drove through Washington, he asked why I was visiting. I explained The 917 Society’s mission of providing free pocket Constitutions to eighth-grade students across America and gave him one of our pocket Constitutions. That simple gift opened the door to a remarkable conversation.

Curious about his perspective as someone who lives and works in our nation’s capital, I asked how he felt about the current administration. I intentionally didn’t share my own views because I genuinely wanted to hear his story.

He told me that he and his family had immigrated to America legally about twenty years ago.

Then he said something that has stayed with me ever since.

“We came here to become Americans.”

He explained that South Africa would always be his heritage, but America was now his home. He believes that immigrants who choose to come to the United States should embrace the opportunity by learning the language, understanding our Constitution and laws, contributing to their communities, and becoming part of the American story.

He spoke passionately about legal immigration—not because he opposed immigrants, but because he deeply respected the process his own family had followed. He believed that protecting the integrity of legal immigration honors those who have sacrificed to come here through the proper channels.

He also shared that he felt Washington had become cleaner and safer and that he enjoyed seeing tourists returning to visit the city.

What struck me most was not his political opinions. It was his gratitude.

He wasn’t asking America to become more like the country he had left. He was grateful for the opportunity to become part of this one.

Today, he is building a medical transportation business. His brother recently became a physician. Their family is living the American Dream through hard work, determination, and personal responsibility.

As we talked, I shared a little of my own story.

I told him I wasn’t born into wealth or privilege. I was the first generation in my family to attend college. Years ago, while launching The 917 Society, I drove Uber to help fund the organization. During rides, I handed out pocket Constitutions and spoke with people from every walk of life. Those experiences convinced me that millions of young Americans were graduating from school without understanding the remarkable document that protects their freedoms.

We laughed about our humble beginnings and agreed on something simple but profound:

America is still one of the few places on earth where your future is not determined by where you started.

If you’re willing to work hard, take personal responsibility, serve others, and seize the opportunities before you, the possibilities are extraordinary.

Our conversation reminded me that America has always welcomed people from every corner of the globe. Immigration has enriched our nation throughout our history. But the strength of America has never rested simply on people arriving here—it has rested on people joining together around a shared commitment to liberty, equal justice under the law, personal responsibility, and the principles embodied in our Constitution.

That is what transforms people from many nations into one people.

The phrase “E Pluribus Unum”—“Out of many, one”—captures this idea beautifully. Our unity has never depended on everyone sharing the same ancestry or background. It has depended on our shared commitment to becoming Americans together.

As I stepped out of that Uber, I felt something that seems increasingly rare these days.

Hope.

Hope that despite the constant negativity surrounding our country, millions of Americans—whether their families arrived on the Mayflower, through Ellis Island, or legally just a generation ago—still believe in the promise of this nation.

American exceptionalism is not about claiming perfection.

It is about believing that a nation founded on liberty, opportunity, constitutional government, and equal rights is worth preserving, improving, and passing on to the next generation.

That conversation reminded me that the American Dream is still alive—and perhaps its strongest believers are sometimes those who chose America on purpose.