By: Kanwal Abidi
The Office of the First Lady press@mail.whitehouse.gov : Sierra Burns, a participant in the Melania Trump Foster Youth to Independence Program, and Everest Nevraumont, a 10-year-old Alpha School student, AI-advocate, and TedX speaker, joined First Lady Melania Trump in the First Lady’s Box for the 2026 State of the Union. Together, they represent the spirit of Mrs. Trump’s BE BEST Fostering the Future initiative: advancing opportunity and empowering young Americans through technology and education.
“Sierra and Everest embody my ongoing mission to uplift America’s foster youth and expand opportunity for our next generation through education and technology,” said First Lady Melania Trump. “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.”
Over the last year, Mrs. Trump led a Presidential Executive Order on Fostering the Future, secured $30 million for foster youth housing, and successfully launched both the Presidential Artificial Intelligence (AI) Challenge, and Fostering the Future Together—a global coalition to empower children through education and technology. Today, Melania Trump’s Fostering the Future platform includes top schools across the nation, such as Vanderbilt University, Villanova University, University of Texas, University of Alabama, University of Miami, University of Georgia, the Ohio State University, University of Florida, and several other notable academic institutions. The First Lady’s recent K-12 AI Workshop with Zoom included approximately 2,600 schools across America.
Sierra A. Burns from Greenville, SC
Sierra is a recipient of the Melania Trump Foster Youth to Independence Program. She is a dedicated advocate for children in foster care after having experienced the foster-care system firsthand. A graduate of Winthrop University, she is currently pursuing her Master’s in Advocacy and Social Policy at Furman University while also working as a Referral Specialist at Prisma Health. Sierra testified in support of extending foster care in South Carolina and later became a Jim Casey Fellow, where she helped develop training resources for caseworkers statewide.
Everest Nevraumont from Austin, TX
Everest is a 10-year-old student at the Alpha School in Austin, Texas, where she participates in AI-powered, personalized learning. She is a public speaker, AI-education advocate, three-time Texas State Champion in History, and was on a winning International History Bowl team. She also delivered a TedX speech about how she uses AI in her education.
