Akash Patel

Fifteen years ago, I was a college student with a backpack and a one-way mindset — saying yes to places I couldn’t pronounce and opportunities I didn’t feel ready for.

One of those yeses took me to the Dominican Republic… into the Office of the then First Lady, Margarita Cedeño de Fernández @margaritacdf

That’s where I met Armando Manzueta @ajmanzueta

We were just two young people in a room way bigger than us — trying to find our place in the world.

Last week, I saw him again… at the @unitednations

No longer interns.

Armando is now the Vice Minister for Public Innovation and Digital for the Dominican Republic.
And I stood there as Chairman of the National Council at @una.usa

He was the keynote speaker.
I spoke to the same students — in Spanish, from the heart.

We didn’t coordinate this moment.
Life did.

And in that room, something powerful happened: Students didn’t just hear about diplomacy.
They saw it.

Two kids who once felt out of place…
now standing at the UN, helping others find theirs.

That’s the power of saying yes —
to the unknown,
to the uncomfortable,
to the long road that doesn’t make sense until it does.

Fifteen years ago, we were just trying to get in the room. Last week, we realized… we never left.

Full circle. 🇺🇸🇺🇳🇩🇴