Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos surprised a group of Washington D.C. high school students, but the kids' reactions are the best part of the video.
Bezos visited a group of computer science students at Dunbar High School on Monday, according to The Washingtonian. The class is funded by the Amazon Future Engineer Program, and a few employees were at the school for a mentorship event. A visit from the richest man in the world was not expected — nor cared about.
This morning @amazon is at Dunbar High School in DC to announce a milestone in its Future Engineer Program. They had a surprise guest….Jeff Bezos. @nbcwashington
pic.twitter.com/dmOvmeJ4Fv— Caroline Tucker (@CTuckerNews) October 21, 2019
Teacher Ramona Hutchins let out a scream, but her students were not amused.
"I know I screamed," Hutchins recalled. "A thousand questions went through my mind. Should I shake his hand? Should I hug him? I told him, 'I'm from New Orleans — I'm going in for the hug!'"
Meanwhile, Bezos' presence was met with blank stares from the teens.
At one point, one student seemed to have asked another who Bezos was, and when he found out, the kid still didn't give a damn. In fact, he appeared mildly annoyed.
we stan pic.twitter.com/ke4cKrDIhj
— a k 86 (@uizapunk) October 23, 2019
The blasé reactions tickled Twitter.
these kids do not give a fuck about that white man sksjsksjsksjskssksksk i’m so proud https://t.co/2aTglPebM0
— stolen person. (@queersocialism) October 23, 2019
The students: pic.twitter.com/zbtNnf6zHM
— Kid-Us (@Shnitze1) October 23, 2019
Lmfaoooo at the teacher trying to hype them up. I’m proud of these kids.
— One PUNCH Pussy (@KatHeartwell) October 23, 2019
he hella expected them to freak out over him ???????????? pic.twitter.com/LVtFvPehmh
— nayelli ???????? (@nayelliabarca) October 24, 2019
Teens are *always* unimpressed with something so….this is funny to me.????????????????????????????
— NO.MATTER.HOW.small (@edu_compassion) October 22, 2019
Hutchins estimates only three out of her 15 students knew who Bezos was. She complimented Bezos for being "down to earth and so personable." At one point, he listened while a student described his project, and when the kid was done, Bezos praised him and called Hutchins "a champion."
"I was very proud as his teacher," Hutchins laughed. "I was like, 'Yes! Larry!'" The educator believes the moment was poignant because her class consists of "100 percent minority students."
Dunbar also happens to be one of the nation's first schools for Black students.
According to Business Insider, the students' reactions were understandable. A 2016 survey found approximately 50% of people had not heard of Bezos or they didn't have any opinion of him.
The kids' underwhelmed response is also understandable given Dunbar was also visited by thee Michelle Obama in July 2017.