A few weeks ago I was one of six Apple Distinguished Educators who were contacted by Apple, inviting us to join them at Battersea Power Station for the afternoon. We weren’t told any more than that, in fact we weren’t even told which other ADEs were invited, but it sounded intriguing enough to say yes to and to make plans to be in London for the day.
Shortly before the event itself we learnt more details – namely that we were one of four groups of people who had been invited as guests to represent different organisations which Apple works with in the UK and that we should be prepared to speak to some key people during the afternoon. Just hours before we arrived in London we learnt that those key people included Tim Cook and HRH King Charles III. To say I was shocked would be an understatement!
After a minor existential crisis on the way to London (was I really about to meet the King and a man who has inspired me through his work with Apple for over a decade?!) and multiple panics about whether or not I’d packed smart enough clothes for such an occasion, it was a relief to meet my fellow ADEs. A coffee and catch-up with Zainab, Ruth, Laura, Kerry and Tim helped ease the nerves and before long it was time to head to Apple’s UK headquarters inside Battersea.
From here on it was all a bit of a blur, but the team at Apple were incredibly kind and friendly, ensuring we were all in the right place at the right time. The six of us were grouped together in a prime position, and staff were in place to direct the special guests over to our group for a brief conversation. We didn’t know how much interaction to expect from either of the VIPs, but when they arrived at our station Tim introduced us by saying to the King by saying “Apple Distinguished Educators are educators that we hold up in high esteem because they’re transforming education using some of our technologies.”
After such a warm introduction the King shook hands with a few of us and spoke briefly about where in the country we’d come from. He spoke with several of us, learning a little more about who we were. As the former Duke of Cornwall he was interested to know more about where in Cornwall I was from and when I mentioned Hayle we ended up chatting briefly about the Cornish Chough project at Paradise Park in Hayle, of which he was a major supporter.
As quickly as the moment had come it passed as the group of VIPs moved further down the atrium of Apple Battersea to meet the next group of invited guests and we were left to process what had just happened. A brief scramble to get some photos that nearby people took of the encounter followed by grabbing out coats and heading outside for one more surprise.
As we were led around the front of Battersea Power Station we were treated to a special concert from RAYE, who played a lovely set of Christmas classics alongside some of her own tunes. The concert was made even more special by seeing the festive artwork of students from nearby St. George’s Primary School projected onto the side of the building.
The whole experience was incredibly surreal, but something I don’t think any of us will ever forget. I feel incredibly fortunate to have been chosen as one of the six Apple Distinguished Educators to chosen to represent our community for this occasion, a real honour given how many incredibly talented educators there are in the country.
I hope this post gives a little more context to the meeting and how the day unfolded – but I also hope it’ll serve as a reminder for me in the future that if you work hard and embrace opportunities that arise (no matter how vague they are!), good things may be waiting just around the corner for you.
