There has been considerable speculation about the surprisingly high engagement of millennial voters in the midterm election. Pundits are considering why their staunch predictions about a red wave failed to materialize, as they evaluate for whom this election might have the greatest impact.

We millennials may not be certain about what the future holds. But we are clear about the past — and we are not eager to travel backward in time or give up the hard-won victories of previous generations.

It wasn’t rage that fueled our enthusiasm to vote. I contend it was more akin to a recalibration, and that this millennial reckoning is not just a short-term data point.

Just like the Baby Boomers left their mark in the 1960s and the decades following, we millennials will have that same focus on political engagement throughout this century.