“Today is about opening doors,” stated First Lady Melania Trump. “When new doors open, passions flow, courage blossoms, and dreams are realized. AI inspires.”
In a ceremony at the White House, Mrs. Trump honored the six student National Champion Teams of America as part of the inaugural Presidential Artificial Intelligence Challenge National Champion Awards Ceremony.
The First Lady highlighted the program’s significant influence on the U.S. economy and various business sectors, such as healthcare, nutrition, and public safety. Mrs. Trump commended the participants for utilizing artificial intelligence to address real-world issues and encouraged them to pursue their dreams. She emphasized that emerging technologies are offering new learning and innovation opportunities for young people, helping shape America’s future. Mrs. Trump noted the extensive reach of the first Presidential AI Challenge, which attracted participation from over 20,000 students across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 49 Department of Defense Education Activity schools in 10 countries. The six National Champion teams acknowledged at the White House include:
Elementary, Track 1: Homework Helper
Alcoa Intermediate School (Alcoa, TN)
Team Members: Aaron Gallagher, Ayden Taverna, Emma Connor, and Ryker Cochran
Elementary, Track 2: Friendzone Chatbot Bullying Prevention App
Community group (Aldie, VA)
Team Members: Riva Madda, Aarna Jaiswal, Eshani Khatri, Sanuli Rathnayake, and Samitha Pinnamareddy
Middle School, Track 1: SkillUp
NorthStar Middle School (Sammamish, WA)
Team Members: Viha Iyer, Arya Pratap, and Shrimayi Shetty
Middle School, Track 2: Using AI Models to Detect Urban Blight using Street-view Images
Julia Landon College Preparatory School (Jacksonville, FL)
Team Member: Shan Vance
High School, Track 1: Utilizing Computer Vision for Hotel Room Identification in Criminal Investigations
Upper Darby Senior High School (Drexel Hill, PA)
Team Member: Khandakar Mahin
High School, Track 2: IRIS: A Low-Cost Spatiotemporal AI Framework for Visually Impaired Navigation in Complex Urban Environments
North Allegheny High School (Sewickley, PA) Team Member: Alexander Du
The full remarks by First Lady Melania Trump are included below.
Open Doors to Realize Dreams
Congratulations to our Presidential AI Challenge winners.
It is wonderful to see this very impressive group of innovators at the White House. I’m proud that you represent the best of America. You are our future.
Thank you to Secretaries Wright and Rollins for being here today. Your support of this program is key to its ongoing success. I also want to recognize everyone who took part in this first AI contest: students, educators, parents, and administrators.
Today is about opening doors. When new doors open, passions flow, courage blossoms, and dreams are realized. AI inspires.
Use this chapter of your life to sail away with your dreams—to continue to build boldly, and importantly, to safeguard America’s leading position in the world of technology.
As you know, technology supports every business sector today. You saw AI’s potential and created ideas that will shape America’s future in many areas, including healthcare, nutrition, public safety, and beyond.
The first Presidential AI Challenge was broadly welcomed across our nation. More than 20,000 students participated across all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 49 Department of War schools in 10 countries around the world. And we are just at the beginning.
Artificial intelligence gives your communities access to the largest amount of information ever recorded in humanity’s history. This fundamental democratization of intellect will profoundly alter society: our industries, our social safety net, and even our open-mindedness toward cultural diversity. Wisdom is tolerance, and change will be enhanced at hyper-speed.
AI’s transformative nature opens new possibilities. AI can help us build a stronger community—making our publicly funded social programs more efficient and more effective. It allows us to deliver more personalized education and in turn, will unlock growth in America’s economy.
Keep using artificial intelligence as a muse—to open new pathways, and ultimately, to achieve personal growth and success.
The young finalists here today come from different backgrounds, schools, and communities. Yet you all share something important. You saw a better way, and you chose to act. That spirit—the courage to ask questions, seek innovative solutions, and serve others—is what will continue moving our country forward.
Today is about new beginnings. Don’t be reluctant to push that door open, be bold with your dreams, and brave with your actions. And now, please welcome Director Kratsios, whose patronage for technology stands out, and whose commitment to keeping America’s children ahead of the AI curve will leave a lasting impression.
