Editor's Note: Dorchester's Rachael Nyepon, who is a Grade 12 student at the John D. O'Bryant School of Math and Science, is one of three Boston Public Schools students who have won an all-expense paid trip to the Presidential Inauguration from Bee Line Transportation, which sponsored an essay contest. Nypeon's winning essay is printed here.

By Rachael Nyepon

America, the "melting pot" of the world, is the undisputed superpower, at peace with a generally admiring world. On Nov. 4th, Americans went to the polls in an unhappy and divided mood both at home and abroad. America's self-belief and values of equality and self-claimed unbiased practical government were under attack across the globe and by extremists at home.

There is no getting around the fact that Barack Obama's resume is a bit thin for the world's biggest job which could ultimately redeem or condemn this nation as well as the prosperity of other commonwealths. But, the exceptionally assured way in which Obama ran his campaign has been a considerable comfort to an overwhelming number of Americans who have voted him into office as America's 44th president. With all of America's shortcomings, Obama offers the best hope of national redemption, and Americans have wincingly taken that chance, knowing full well the steep road ahead.

Most of the hoopla about Barack Obama's presidency has been about his race and what he is, rather than what he would do as president. By becoming president, he will dispel many of the myths built up about America. It will be far harder for the spreaders of hate in the Islamic world to denounce America as the "Great Satan," especially when it is being led by a black man whose middle name is Hussein.

At home, Barack Obama would salve, if not close, the ugly racial wound let by America's history and lessen the tendency of American blacks to blame all of their problems on racism. This was especially true in 2000, when many Americans thought President Bush won the elections by disenfranchising thousands of African-American voters in Florida though the intervention of the partisan U.S Supreme Court. Now, the outgoing President Bush is handing over power to the nation's first African American president.

By painting a brighter future for America and the world, Obama has produced a more compelling and detailed portrait. He campaigned with more style, intelligence and discipline but whether he can fulfill his immense potential remains to be seen although he does deserve to be the President of the United States.

Of course, he will make mistakes as all the other of America's Presidents, but it will not be because of his race because this is a man who seems eager to listen, learn and put his already existing and gained wisdom to use. In reality, no one can predict how important anyone elected to the Presidency of the United States will perform, and yes, Obama's presidency is a gamble given his inexperience. However, Barack Obama has clearly demonstrated that he offers the best chance of restoring America's self-confidence both at home and abroad.

Let's consider the challenges of an Obama presidency: first on the domestic front, those challenges include repairing America's economy with the start of a painful recession; unprecedented mortgage foreclosure rate, and a financial crisis far from over. In addition, some 50 million Americans have negligible health-care coverage.

The American military is in two countries prosecuting two unpopular wars that have left America less feared by its enemies and less admired by its remaining friends. Also, a combination of demography and the rising costs of America's huge entitlement programs - Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, which will start to bankrupt the country if nothing is done in the next 10 years - needs to be tackled with an immediate urgency.

Secondly, on the international front, America's reputation is at stake: welding the new emerging powers to the West, not just handling the rise of India and China, and drawing them into global efforts, such as curbs on climate change. This means reselling economic and political freedom to a world that too quickly associates American capitalism with failed Wall Street financial institutions, and American Justice with Guantanamo Bay.

These challenges will take patience, fortitude, salesmanship and strategy, which Barack Obama seems to possess and far remove from the incompetence, cronyism and extremism of the Bush presidency.