Hey! I'm Ciara, a 14 year old interested in how the combination of AI and VR/AR can create an innovative impact on the education system. I am a part of a youth-accelerator program, TKS, that develops young people like myself to solve some of the world's biggest problems. Besides that, I love to play basketball, read, and learn new things.

The leaves are turning, the air is cooler, and every time I walk outside it's way too cold!!! October has started... and ended. October has been epic! I've had the opportunity to learn new things, produce content, reflect on my interest and meet lots of new people. So without further ado, let's dive in!

This month at TKS has been so awesome!! I’ve had the chance to meet so many new people, learn about a variety of emerging technologies, and get some guidance on my focus. So far I’ve had 4 cohort sessions. I love the sessions when we do research on emerging technologies, and propose an idea through a presentation. Shout out to my director Steven, for helping make the sessions a blast! Besides the sessions, I’ve had fun going to Brain pods and meeting new people in TKS through Braindates. Brain pods are sessions focusing on specific topics and skills. Some examples are; the ethics of Longevity, presentation practice, and Blockchain visions. This month I’ve also continued to meet up with TKS students through brain dates!

I've also had the opportunity to join velocity. Velocity is a sub-program integrated into TKS that allows students to accelerate their progress while also learning some life-long skills. So far I've had two sessions and they’ve been amazing!! The meeting atmosphere is amazing! And having weekly requirements along with a weekly tracker makes it easier for me to explore different people, adopt new mindsets, and hold myself accountable.

This month I have decided to do a focus on Artificial Intelligence. A focus is something students in TKS do. There are two types of focuses: Scientific and Technical focus. Since I’m doing a technical focus, I will be learning about AI, replicating two projects, and creating my own project with AI. I’ve already started learning about AI, and next week I will be completing my learn article. I would like to thank all the people who have helped me finalize my focus decision. I’m super excited to continue learning about AI and applying it to problems that I’m passionate about. Next newsletter I’ll give you guys an update on how it’s going!

This month I had the opportunity to attend the Women of Influence Spotlight Series! The event was awesome! I even got the opportunity to network!! Listening to the interview with Vivian Kaye was super insightful, below are my takeaways:

• Don’t be afraid to just get started

• Focus on what you do best

• “I would rather try and fail rather than regret and not do it.” - Vivian Kaye

After the event, I got the opportunity to meet up with someone I met at the event. Shout out to Ashleigh Montague for having a meeting with me and giving me some good tips on entrepreneurship.

• Publish Learn article

• Start replicate project for focus

• Complete 60+ Braindates

• Record and publish at least 2 more episodes for the podcast

• Reach + Have a meeting with at least 2 AI professsionals