First Lady Melania Trump accepted the “Patriot of the Year” award during the annual Fox Nation Patriot Awards.
“I applaud American dreamers and innovators who embrace originality,” she said upon accepting the award. “Let’s embrace the spirit of ambition. Let’s celebrate everyone who dares to think differently. For it is these courageous Americans who are the heartbeat of our civilization.”
“Every breakthrough starts with one person daring to imagine what’s never been done. Her friends call it unrealistic, her family declares it’s ‘far-fetched’—but the human spirit moves forward anyway, turning vision into reality. One mind, one idea, one act of courage,” she added, going on to challenge Americans to “[b]e relentless in experimentation. Never stop trying new things. Keep pushing yourself to grow, both intellectually and personally. Embrace different perspectives, even opposing ones.”
“So America, tonight, let’s make a personal pledge to celebrate ambition and scale imagination to create a more advanced and prosperous society. Individual productivity is not selfish,” the first lady said, emphasizing, “It’s the heartbeat of civilization.”
Melania Trump has led several children’s advocacy efforts. In May, the first lady announced an investment from the Trump administration to support youth transitioning out of foster care. Several months later, she announced a nationwide AI challenge for K-12 students, inviting them to participate in an event to “discover, develop, and expand AI’s potential.”
During the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September, Trump unveiled the Fostering the Future Together initiative, inviting nations to support the well-being of children through education, innovation, and technology.
