First lady Melania Trump will highlight the Trump administration’s focus on artificial intelligence and foster care by inviting two young women to sit in her box during Tuesday night’s State of the Union address.
Mrs. Trump invited Sierra Burns, 24, who was a beneficiary of the first lady’s Foster Youth to Independence program.
Also sitting with Mrs. Trump will be Everest Nevraumont, a 10-year-old student from Austin, Texas, who attends Alpha School, which offers a hybrid learning curriculum that includes artificial intelligence.
“Sierra and Everest embody my ongoing mission to uplift America’s foster youth and expand opportunity for our next generation through education and technology,” Mrs. Trump said in a statement.
“I am proud to have them join me at this historic event. Sierra and Everest represent the young people across America whose personal experience, drive, and self-motivation reflect the goals of my BE BEST Fostering the Future initiatives,” the statement continued.
Both guests symbolize the issues Mrs. Trump has championed during President Trump’s second term. She is leading the Presidential AI Challenge and has advocated for children in foster care.
In November, Mr. Trump allocated $25 million in federal funding to provide housing and support to help teenagers who’ve aged out of the foster care system. That money was secured in the 2026 budget at the urging of Mrs. Trump.
Next month, Mrs. Trump will participate in a two-day summit at the State Department and the White House, focusing on empowering children in the areas of technology and AI. Mr. Trump will host the event.
Ms. Burns is a public advocate for foster care. Having grown up in the foster care system, she is pursuing a master’s degree in advocacy and social policy at Furman University in South Carolina while working as a referral specialist at Prisma Health.
Everest was on a winning International History Bowl team and is an accomplished podcaster. She also delivered a TED Talk to discuss how she uses AI in her education.
