Today began as any other day. I got up, got dressed, and took the bus downtown to cover a press conference at the D.C. Convention Center. But today wasn’t just any day.Why?

Turns out the conference I was assigned to cover was a chance for the presidential candidates to speak to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute in an attempt to win the Latino vote in next year’s primary elections. All of the candidates were invited, but only a few came. Among them were Sen. Joe Biden, Rep. Kucinich and … drum roll please …

Hillary Clinton!

I’d never actually heard Hillary speak before, not even on TV. And she didn’t disappoint. Incredibly charismatic, and with a lot of good things to say. But one thing surprised me. She relied a lot on citing the successes of the Bill era. On one hand, that makes a lot of sense because that era rocked, but on the other hand it surprised me that she’d rely so heavily on the achievements of her husband and her experiences as first lady, rather than trying to push her own merits.

But either way, she inspired me.

“I fear that the American Dream is receding for too many Americans,” Clinton said. “It is time for us to make it clear that we will not let the American Dream die in the 21st century.”