Rapper 2 Chainz surprises Booker T. Washington High School seniors

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Seniors at Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta got a surprise visit from Grammy Award-winning rapper 2 Chainz as they planned for their futures.

This was all part of the second annual BTW Fest sponsored by the non-profit Page Turners Make Great Learners organization and the Arthur M. Blank Foundation.

The hallways were buzzing all morning as students wondered who the special guest would be after hearing from filmmakers, Meta and Mercedes-Benz employees and others.

“We believe in imparting that level of wisdom and curiosity to the next generation and truly to see what you can achieve from all these professionals that are coming here to impart to all of these students,” said Mike Binns, a board member for Page Turners Make Great Learners and a patent attorney for Meta.

The day ended with Atlanta native and very familiar face 2 Chainz as he surprised the seniors in the auditorium, talking about his life and his book.

Throughout the morning, seniors got to hear from business leaders about life after high school, problem-solving and talking to professionals whom they might not otherwise meet.

“Career exposure is key, and let’s be transparent with each other. We are in a community where students may not have accessibility and the level of exposure that is needed,” Principal Tiauna Crooms said. “But to have esteemed guests that are in our building to let them know that it’s an open book of possibilities. You never know what may awaken the sleeping giant.”

Valedictorian Joseph Rosser learned the importance of a good education and planning for the future from his parents.

“I always told them I want to be like them, but they said be better than me, so I guess I took it a little too extreme by getting valedictorian,” said Rosser.

While he’s traveling down a path to become a drone engineer, he said he’s excited to network and watch his classmates find something they’re passionate about, too.

“I’m glad that they were able to come in and give my peers the opportunity to figure out what they need to do for themselves and their career and their pathway,” he said.

As students heard from these business leaders in their classrooms, Crooms said last year’s event was a big hit, and they want to keep it going.

“Seeing people that are similar to them in the positions and the roles that they are in, so when we talk about speaking life and creating opportunities, that’s when that book begins to open for them,” she said.

Seniors have just under 40 instructional days left before they graduate, so Crooms said this is a great way to open their eyes to careers they might never have considered.