Dear Blog World,
Today, I’ll share my insights from my trip to New York. I had the opportunity to visit the United Nations Headquarters and attend the Technovation Girls conference at the Accenture Building, where I was invited to speak at "A World of AI-Driven Technology." I’ll discuss what I learned about the UN and, of course, uncover the truth about those infamous New York rats!
I woke up on a sunny March morning, sure that the day would be an adventure. The night before, I had dropped off my three pet rats, Gucci, Peanut, and Strawberry, at my friend’s house and moved my pet pigeons into an outdoor cage with enough food and water to last a few weeks (even though I was only going to be gone for three days). After breakfast, my friend Marissa arrived to carpool with me from my home.
Once in the car, we were ready to head to the Big Apple and present our inventions at Technovation! Marissa and I practiced our presentations on the way. My invention, the AI-Powered ChickCheck App, determines the gender of a baby chick by merging audio and images. Marissa was planning to present her plan for an Ardu-sub (an underwater robot) that monitors sea life while cleverly disguised as a turtle to avoid disturbing marine life. We had already created our online presentations and rehearsed in the car when we reached New York. Greeted by $200 in tolls and a sign that set the mood for our trip: “BEWARE OF FENTANYL! IT IS EVERYWHERE.”
In the late afternoon, we set out on our first adventure. After passing a few people using drugs on the street, I spotted some friendly police officers and seized the moment to thank them for their hard work protecting citizens. They were thrilled to chat with us, sharing stories and laughs. It felt like a scene from a movie when they agreed to take a photo with us and give us a NY Police Patch, and we couldn’t help but smile as we captured the moment!
Finally, we arrived at the United Nations. It took us about 30 minutes to get to our tour guide, and once the tour began, we learned about the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. My favorite, without a doubt, is “Life on Land,” which focuses on animal rights. We also learned about the Security Council, which has five permanent members, including the U.S., which has exercised its veto power the most—82 times, to be exact!
The next day, we headed to the 64th floor of the Accenture building (you know, the one on 9th Avenue!). One disappointment was that Marissa and I had been excited to present, but that changed at the last minute. It was a big bummer, especially after we spent the previous night working on our projects until 10 PM. However, we still had the chance to share our work with some mentors who offered valuable feedback.
There were many speakers, and one of the most captivating was Pesang Wangmo, whose presentation was titled “A Tale of Transformation: A Journey from Tibet to Wall Street.” She shared her inspiring journey from a small village in Tibet to her current role on Wall Street! I also enjoyed meeting Ms. Andrea Francis, the Global Director of Accenture for 24 years. It turns out that her daughter and I both share a passion for horses, which made our conversation even more enjoyable!
I also met with several leaders promoting AI for girls, including Dr. Wycliffe Otieno, who works with the Unicef to advance education, and Ms. Tara Chklovski, the CEO of Technovation. Ms. Chklovski is the driving force behind this initiative, empowering girls worldwide to tackle real-world problems through technology. One of the most unexpected yet valuable lessons I took away was the importance of networking and how connecting with people across various fields can provide crucial support for your projects.
Overall, this was an incredible experience. I gained self-confidence, connected with many interesting people, and deepened my understanding of the AI & United Nations Council. I’m thankful to Technovation and Ms. Christina Clark for this amazing opportunity. I especially want to recognize my parents for their unwavering support and encouragement!
Now, I have to share my experience with the New York rats. Yes, you read that right—the rattus! I decided to venture into the subway, fully aware of the risks (especially with 1,120 violent index crimes reported in 2023), but I simply had to see these infamous creatures for myself. So, I approached a ticketing and security guard at the Times Square subway and asked if I could investigate the legendary New York rats. He was surprised by my request, but to my delight, he let me in without charging a fare! He mentioned that no one had ever made such a wild request before.
Rattus: A fun synonym for rats commonly used by rat owners.
Now, to clear up a common misconception: everyone thinks New York rats are big, scary, and ugly, but these little cuties were actually smaller than my pet rats! Check out the comparison photos of my chunky darling Peanut next to these mini critters.
By the time you read this post, I’m saddened to say that I have lost both Gucci and Chanel, as well as my dog Milan. They were all truly the best. From them, I learned invaluable lessons about love, trust, respect, and loyalty.
Until next time blogworld!
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