The class of 2007 will be successful, wealthy and happy — whether they like it or not. A majority of the class of 2007 is part of the same generation, and because of this, many have strikingly similar characteristics that create a recipe for success. Because of these characteristics, it will be impossible for the class of 2007 to fail.

A majority of the class of 2007 is part of the Millennial Generation, a generation of people born between 1978 and 2000. The Millennial Generation is a 76-million strong group of independent, motivated and technologically savvy individuals. They grew up with self-esteem, confidence, their own computers and they are more multicultural than any previous generation.

Growing up, the Millennials experienced many comfortable times of economic prosperity and technological advancements. The Millennial Generation, however, also faced more hardships and disasters than recent generations, which served to make it stronger.

This includes Sept. 11, 2001, the first Gulf War and the Iraq war, the Columbine High School shootings and natural disasters. While it is true that each generation has its own set of disasters and conflicts, it seems that the Millennials have experienced more than their fair share, and many are only a quarter of the way through their lives. Enduring these situations has not broken them down, but rather made them strong, driven and determined.

While the Millennial Generation has survived many difficulties, it has also experienced many positive things as well. These positive factors in the Millennial Generation's life have strengthened them and given them many defining characteristics, many of which are characterized in Generations at Work by Claire Raines. One of the first and strongest defining characteristics of a Millennial that Raines discusses is his or her confidence. Most Millennials were raised by Baby Boomer or Generation X parents who taught their children the importance of self-esteem, and the phrase "you can be anything you want to be" was common for many Millennials to hear as they were growing up. As such, the idea of self-confidence was drilled into the heads of the Millennial Generation, and as a result, a "go-getter" and confident attitude is standard for most Millennials.

Other defining characteristics of the Millennial Generation that Raines describes are a sense of hope and optimism, a strong sense of goals and achievements and the propensity to be civic-minded and service-oriented.

A final and very important characteristic that defines the Millennial Generation is their open-mindedness toward multicultural situations. Raines reports that college freshmen have more intercultural and diverse circles of friends than any other group of college freshman in past generations. This multicultural attitude creates an atmosphere of learning and growing, and as a result, the Millennials are more culturally enlightened than many Baby Boomers or members of Generation X.

Armed with confidence, their strong sense of goals, optimism and multicultural attitude, the Millennial Generation is already incredibly successful. Many influential members of the community, the business world, the government and Hollywood are Millennials, and more will join their ranks as this generation matures and enters the working world.

But is success something that can be guaranteed to the class of 2007 just because they are part of a certain generation? I think so. The Millennial Generation was raised to be responsible, independent and self-confident. Major defining moments in Millennials' lives have made them strong and powerful, and the technology that they have grown up with has made them intelligent and innovative. All things considered, the Millennial Generation is not capable of failing, and this generation will prove to be one of the most successful in history.

The future looks bright for the class of 2007 and the Millennial Generation. The class of 2007 will ultimately be successful, wealthy and happy — you can count on it.

Reach columnist Sara Wilson at opinion@thedaily.washington.edu.