First Lady Melania Trump thought it would ‘be best’ if her State of the Union guests showcased how her initiatives were helping Americans in the real world.
A source close to the First Lady revealed to the Daily Mail that sitting alongside Mrs. Trump while President Donald Trump addresses Congress will be 10-year-old Everest Nevraumont and 24-year-old Sierra Burns.
State of the Union guests are invited each year to symbolize the priorities of the administration.
The President is expected to make the economy the centerpiece of his highly-anticipated speech, while highlighting the stories of everyday Americans.
Nevraumont was chosen because she’s an ‘AI education advocate and history champ.’
‘This is connecting back to Melania Trump’s efforts in education and technology for American children,’ the source explained.
Since the first Trump administration, the First Lady has tackled the issue of keeping children safe from emerging technological threats.
That was one of the three tenets of her ‘Be Best’ initiative launched in 2018 during Trump’s first term, as she worked to combat cyberbullying.
During the President’s second term, Melania has started addressing artificial intelligence as well, preaching caution when it comes to youngsters and the emerging tech.
A source close to the East Wing has revealed who First Lady Melania Trump is bringing to Tuesday night’s State of the Union address. She’s pictured in the First Lady’s box when President Donald Trump gave his joint address to Congress in March of last year
First Lady Melania Trump has invited 10-year-old Everest Nevraumont to sit with her because Nevraumont is an ‘AI education advocate and history champ.’ The youngster used AI study guides to help her place higher than any other female student at the National History Bee
‘This is connecting back to Melania Trump’s efforts in education and technology for American children,’ the source explained
During a speech in the East Room in September, the First Lady told tech titans that ‘as leaders and parents, we must manage AI’s growth responsibly.’
But she’s also wanted children to learn about AI and harness it to produce something creative, launching her Presidential AI Challenge in August.
Nevraumont attends the Alpha school in Austin, Texas, a private school that crafts individualized learning plans for each student that use artificial intelligence.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon paid a visit to the school in September and met Nevraumont there, who explained that she went from a fourth-grade to ninth grade reading level in just one school year.
The source described the fifth grader as ‘really super smart’ and ‘ridiculously incredible when it comes to history.’
Nevraumont has even given a TedX talk on how to be a better learner of historical facts. In it, she talked about using AI to study for the History Bee, with her father plugging in previous questions used to see what might be asked in a future competition.
‘Almost as important as figuring out how to learn is figuring out what to learn. In a different context, this is what Donald Rumsfeld called his “unknown unknowns,”‘ Nevraumont said, prompting laughs from the adult audience for the Bush era reference.
She said the AI generated question weren’t perfect, ‘but it was pretty helpful also,’ as Nevraumont had the best finish for a girl of her age in the National History Bee.
First Lady Melania Trump smiles as she addresses a crowd of tech leaders in the East Room in September. During her speech, she preached caution when it came to AI, telling attendees ‘as leaders and parents, we must manage AI’s growth responsibly’
Education Secretary Linda McMahon poses with Everest Nevraumont during her visit to Nevraumont’s Austin-based private school Alpha in September. The school uses AI in its instruction, which is catered to each student
Melania Trump’s (right) second guest is 24-year-old Sierra Burns, who has benefited from the First Lady’s Fostering the Future initiative. In November, President Donald Trump (left) signed a Fostering the Future executive order to assist foster children and young adults
Burns is a former foster child who is one of the recipients of the First Lady’s efforts to secure housing for those previously in the foster care system.
The Foster Youth to Independence initiative is a program through the Department of Housing and Urban Development, offering up to 36 months of rental assistance to help young people avoid homelessness.
The First Lady lobbied to have $25 million included in the fiscal year 2026 budget for the program.
The move was part of Melania’s larger Fostering the Future initiative – which falls under her trademark ‘Be Best’ brand – and was something that she first launched in 2021 when the President was out of office.
Since returning to the White House, the President signed a Fostering the Future executive order alongside the First Lady in November.
Part of that initiative was also a scholarship program, which has found homes at major universities, including Vanderbilt, the University of Georgia, the University of Alabama, the University of Texas, the University of Florida, the University of Miami and others.
But the First Lady’s guest will reflect the housing portion of her work.
Melania Trump spoke as her 2025 inaugural ball gown was shown on display on stage at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History last week
While Burns doesn’t have a robust online presence like Nevraumont, the source teased that she was also ‘super impressive.’
The President will deliver his State of the Union address on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET.
