Mackenzie Adams stole the hearts of many with her viral teaching videos from TikTok and, on Wednesday night, she participated in the opening special, “Celebrating America”.
The Glenwood Elementary kindergarten teacher introduced the Seattle Foo Fighters for their “Times Like This” performance after a message from the president thanking the hard-working teachers who went further during the pandemic.
“It has been a difficult year for our students, and I am very proud of all the teachers, parents and students across the country who have adapted and made the best of a difficult time,” said Adams, in front of Seattle Horizonte.
Adams also received a message from Dave Grohl of Foo Fighers.
“Mackenzie Adams reminds me of another excellent teacher who holds a very special place in my heart – my mother, Virginia, who was a public school teacher for 35 years. Like Mackenzie and Dr. Jill Biden, she was also a mentor to her students, remembered long after graduation. This year, our teachers faced unprecedented challenges. But with dedication and creativity, they faced these challenges head on, “he said before introducing himself.
“Celebrating America” ended a day of events celebrating the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, and featured a star-studded schedule featuring performances including Katy Perry, Bruce Springsteen, Demi Lovato, Justin Timberlake, John Legend, Jon Bon Jovi, Tim McGraw and Ant Clemons.
In case you haven’t heard of Adams before, she posted a quick video on TikTok during a math class in September and immediately went viral – the video now has over 14 million views.
We talked to her about that viral TikTok, her turbulent experience afterwards and her love for teaching. Check out this interview here.