Imagine, if you will, it is the first day back at high school. Despite your carefully-chosen top and new boots, your backpack feels heavy on your shoulders, the fluorescent lights overhead far too bright, your teachers’ voices far too chipper as you plunge in your bag for a notebook.
Then imagine that while you are rummaging for notes, you hear a lilting, familiar, fatherly voice lifting you out of your fog: “How’s everybody doing? Is that my seat? You don’t mind me crashing, right?”
Former President Obama surprised a group of students at McKinley Technology High on Friday, September 8, giving them a much less disenchanting first day than they would have had otherwise.
He visited the D.C. high school for a discussion about “their life goals, pursuing higher education and giving back to their communities,” The Hill reports. Obama also took to his social media channels to post about the gathering.
“Proud of these McKinley Tech students,” he wrote on Twitter. “Inspiring young minds that make me hopeful about our future.”
@BarackObama made a surprise visit to McKinley Tech HS here in DC to welcome back students as they start a new school year. pic.twitter.com/Y64tAE0KBl
— Eric Schultz (@EricSchultz) September 8, 2017
Proud of these McKinley Tech students—inspiring young minds that make me hopeful about our future. pic.twitter.com/nqYC1mjjTB
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) September 8, 2017
It’s probably best he kept the visit under wraps, otherwise I definitely might have gone Never Been Kissed on this classroom (to hear him speak, not to infiltrate the popular crowd.) Still, in such tumultuous times, it’s heartening to see that he is still reaching out to young people and fighting for our country.
