Ali Alban - 340

The Verity Foundation Defending the Truth in a Digital Age About Us Today, we live in a world where technology is not only everywhere, but it is taking over everything. The Verity Foundation is committed to empowering people to recognize and navigate digital misinformation. We aim to create a world where people can consume trusted information and make informed decisions in an overwhelmingly digital environment. Our Mission The heart of our name is “Verity” and it stands for truth. Our mission is to defend and promote truth in the digital age by empowering individuals to think critically, verify information, and navigate the digital world with confidence. The Verity Foundation’s mission is to develop educational tools, digital platforms, and community initiatives that promote critical thinking, media literacy, and truth verification. Why I Am Passionate Growing up in the Digital Age and studying Cybersecurity and Technology in university has given me the privilege to understand the tool...

Honestly, I really do not know exactly what my first step in making the world a better place looks like. I am not one of those people who has had the same passion since they were five or a perfectly mapped-out plan for changing the world. But what I do have is ambition, and a belief that I want to do something that matters. Right now, I’m paying attention to what is happening in the world, and sometimes I feel so lost with everything going on. To the way the world works, how people interact with politics and technology, and the overwhelming amount of noise we all live in, it is not only scary but very easy to feel completely lost and helpless. I’ve been thinking a lot about how hard it is to know what’s real online anymore, especially with the rise of technology like deepfakes, AI-generated content, and misinformation. It feels like we’re living in this weird space where truth is blurry, and that honestly scares me. I don’t know if I’ll be the one to solve that problem entirely. But I...

 Right now, I’m experiencing quite possibly the worst kind of FOMO known to man. And for those who don’t know (but I’m guessing you do), FOMO stands for fear of missing out . Literally everyone I know, plus what feels like half the internet, is at Coachella this weekend. Meanwhile, I’m sitting here, not in the desert, not wearing the cutest outfit, not sipping on a drink, and definitely not watching The Marías perform live… which hurts just a little extra because I’m literally listening to them right now as I write this. Dramatic? Maybe. Valid? YES. But instead of spiraling into a pit of envy and sad girl playlists, I’m trying to flip the script. I’m home. Not just at “a” home, but my home -- my childhood room, where every corner tells a different story of who I’ve been over the years. It’s kind of wild to think about how much life has happened inside these four walls. This room has grown up with me. From overflowing bins of stuffed animals, to the photo walls with high school ...