Visiting international organizations, experiencing a variety of exciting workshops, touring museums and art galleries, city walks through the streets of New York, and interesting soul collisions...

The 2024 Emerging Visionaries Awards “Charity Ambassadors” Zheyi Ye and Ko Cheng-ruei, have successfully completed their trip to the USA. What do they have to share?

Let's first check out the vlog made and edited by Ye herself!

…..vlog…..

Next, let's open Ko Cheng-ruei's diary and see what anecdotes and interesting experiences he had on his first trip to the USA.

In January of this year, I recorded a video introducing my water filtration cup project and sent it to the Fosun Foundation's Emerging Visionaries Awards committee. In February, I received a notification for the next round of selections. After an interview process, I was informed that my project had won the Gold Award, which was completely unexpected. Even more surprising, I was given the opportunity to travel to New York City to share my project. This was a great honour for me as I had never been to New York before. Having never travelled abroad with anyone other than my family, I felt both excited and a bit nervous.

Time quickly flew by, and on April 17th, we arrived at Hongqiao International Airport. After a quick farewell to my family, I embarked on the journey to New York with two teachers from the Fosun Foundation and another talented Gold Award winner, Zheyi Ye.

DAY 1 : UNICEF Visit → UN HQ Tour → Fosun New York Office

On the first day, we visited the headquarters of UNICEF. It was my first time seeing such a large-scale organization, and despite feeling a bit tired from the jet lag, I excitedly took a photo at the entrance. After a discussion with David Evans, a senior advisor at UNICEF, I successfully introduced my project. Although I am not someone who enjoys giving speeches and presentations, David's enthusiasm made the whole experience pleasant and relaxing. During our conversation, I discovered his deep love for Chinese culture; his office was adorned with various spring couplets and calligraphy pieces, which were written more beautifully and neatly than mine. Zheyi Ye also introduced her project, which focuses on helping lupus erythematosus patients increase their understanding of the disease and adopt a more positive attitude towards their condition and work.

Afterwards, we toured the United Nations headquarters and venues where international dignitaries hold their meetings. In the evening, we visited Fosun's New York office and had a discussion with Mr. Bo Wei. He gave us a lot of practical advice, providing valuable guidance on both presentations and our products.

DAY 2 : Metropolitan Museum of Art Visit → "Face-to-Face with Mentors"

On the second day, we visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art and admired various world artifacts. After taking photos in Central Park, I met Sally, a former Visionary Award recipient who now lives in New York and studies philosophy at a local university. In the evening, I discussed our projects with another former Gold Award winner, Yitian Zhang.

DAY 3: Chinese Consulate Visit → MoMA Modern Art Museum → Visionaries' First Meeting

On the third day, Zheyi Ye and I went shopping at Target in the morning, where she bought the new album she wanted. Afterwards, we visited the Chinese Consulate in New York and introduced our projects to Counselor Yu. This was a rare opportunity, and we successfully completed our presentations, exchanged business cards and WeChat contacts, and received his encouragement. In the afternoon, we went to the MoMA Modern Art Museum, where I saw some works by Andy Warhol, who has always been my idol. I had previously visited his collection during a trip to San Francisco. In the evening, back at the hotel, visionaries from around the world gathered in the restaurant for an initial round of exchanges and introductions.

DAY 4 : Workshop → Prudential Interview → New York City Walk

On the fourth day, the international visionaries met with the American visionaries, and I made many new friends. I introduced my product to the new acquaintances. We then participated in a series of workshops covering topics like how to persuade investors to support your product and storytelling techniques. After that, I was interviewed by Prudential. Although I was a bit nervous, I successfully shared my ideas. In the evening, we took a boat tour around downtown New York and enjoyed dinner. When we arrived at Times Square, we were surprised to see our portraits displayed on the tallest screen. We took many photos, and passers-by, thinking we were celebrities, stopped to watch us.

DAY 5: Prudential HQ Visit → Award Ceremony Dinner → CGTN Interview

On the fifth day, we visited Prudential's headquarters. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a band, and our portraits were once again displayed on the large screen at the entrance. This was followed by a series of workshops where professional instructors shared presentation techniques. In the evening, we attended the award ceremony dinner, which was graced by Hoda Kotb, the renowned host of the Today Show. She congratulated us and shared her journey to success, with one story particularly inspiring me. She had applied to 26 companies and faced 26 rejections, but succeeded on her 27th attempt. This reinforced my belief that while we might encounter many failures before our product launches, persistence will eventually lead to success. After the dinner, I finally received the much-anticipated trophy and took a photo with Prudential's CEO. Back at the hotel, I was interviewed by CGTN, where I introduced my product once again.

DAY 6:  "A Letter to the Next Cohort" → Mentor Exchange → "Messages of Encouragement"

On the final day, we received letters written by previous participants. I received a letter from a student in India filled with words of encouragement. I also wrote a letter to next year's participants, sharing my experiences and insights. We had an exchange with past American award recipients, learning how they utilized various resources to achieve their goals. In the afternoon, we attended presentations by winners of financial solution awards, all of whom were confident and impressive. After the closing ceremony, we pinned a piece of paper on the back of our clothes for others to write messages and words they wanted to share with us.

This trip to New York not only helped more people learn about my project but also brought many opportunities for introductions and interviews. However, I believe the greatest reward was making new friends. I added almost all the visionaries on Instagram. Here, I want to especially thank my good friends, Caden, Preston, and Genshu.

Caden created a financial education institution (CadenTeaches) and founded his own company at the age of 14, earning over hundreds thousands US dollars. Preston established a platform for youth interaction (YouthWard), which has over 1,000 users and has developed more than 50 projects. Genshu founded a bottle recycling organization in Hawaii, which has recycled 1.5 million bottles and used the proceeds to support students from economically disadvantaged families. During this journey, we became great partners and formed a group. We meet every weekend to discuss our projects and how we can collaborate to help the world.

Finally, I want to sincerely thank the Fosun Foundation and Prudential for providing us young people with these opportunities, enabling our projects to gain more recognition and receive support on various levels, laying the foundation for future implementation. I also hope to one day bring my product to children in third world countries, improving their access to clean drinking water.

This concludes my record of the trip to the USA. The long-haul flight of over ten hours and the jet lag did not make me feel tired; I can’t wait for the Shanghai summit in July to meet more public welfare partners and share with everyone. See you soon!

Ko Cheng-ruei

2024 Emerging Visionaries Awards "Charity Ambassador"

Shanghai American School