Alexis Akers ’27 is a History and Politics and International Affairs major, with a minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. She was selected as a finalist for the 2025 Riley Institute student op-ed Contest for the following piece, in which she responded to the question of whether the American dream is achievable and how younger Americans can achieve it. She is also involved with the Heller Service Crops, Alpha Delta Pi, the Riley Institute A-Team, and the Shucker Institute.
Like many, my first introduction to the concept of the American Dream was F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald, through the lens of his characters, paints the American Dream as a corrupted ideal, one that has strayed from its original promise of opportunity through hard work and determination and instead highlights inequality and disillusionment.
The American Dream typically references homeownership, social mobility, and financial stability, but it also includes a sense of personal fulfillment and accomplishment. While Fitzgerald’s 1925 critique still resonates, our notion of the American Dream continues to evolve. Rising inequality, economic instability, housing affordability, systemic discrimination, and political uncertainty are just a few barriers challenging its current attainability.
Even with tireless effort and resilience, uncontrollable factors continue to shape success. While I do not believe achieving the American Dream to be an impossible feat, there are these significant barriers that previous generations did not encounter on the same scale. Additionally, certain groups face these barriers more than others.
In light of these challenges, the question becomes not just if the American Dream is still possible but how my generation can redefine it.
Throughout my life, people have declared that “Gen Z is going to be the generation to change the world.” An immense sense of pressure comes with the responsibility to change the world. Even with this added element of pressure, I truly believe Gen Z can make a difference and be the hope that this country desperately needs.
We are a vocal generation, one that is not afraid to raise our voice to drive necessary change. We participate in civic engagement, demand equity in education and the workforce, advocate for climate, housing, and health policy, and push for racial and gender equality. The oldest of our generation are under thirty; the youngest are still in high school. Yet we make up 18% of the state and local government workforce, giving us a unique ability to affect change.
By continuing to address systemic inequalities, Gen Z improves its own chance of achieving the American Dream while simultaneously paving the way for future generations to inherit fairer societies. When these changes indeed take root, the American Dream will no longer feel like a privilege for the few but instead a possibility for the many, and our generation will effectively transform the American Dream into a concept of collective success rather than simply a pursuit towards individual opportunity.
