Amazon.com Inc.’s message to high school computer science students is clear: Stick with it, and we can hire you in a few years.
Brian Taptich, Amazon Web Services (NASDAQ: AMZN) executive and Potomac, Maryland native, told 18 high school students at Cardozo Education Campus in D.C. on Tuesday morning that they were already ahead of him — he didn’t think about tech or learn any digital skills until he was well into his 20s.
“There are quite literally thousands of jobs that are available right now and people with your skills — granted, in a few years — will fill,” he said, highlighting current Amazon openings in product management, solutions architecture and systems engineering. “There are no shortage of jobs that you guys are on the right track for.”
Taptich, vice president of AWS's Game Tech, met with computer science teacher Aris Pangilinan, whom students referred to as “Mr. P,” and his class of sophomore, junior and senior students. He talked about Taptich’s K-12 education in Montgomery County and career path in the tech industry that led to his job with Amazon's cloud computing arm in 2017.
"I don't know how many of you are going to be computer scientists and engineers, but it kind of doesn't matter," Taptich said. "If you have this foundation off of which you can build in any one of a number of directions is already incredibly important."
Amazon Future Engineer, the company’s global computer science education program that prioritizes students from underserved communities at Title I schools, including more than 100 in Greater Washington, just awarded its teacher of the year recognition to Pangilinan and nine other teachers around the country, which included a $5,000 individual grant and $25,000 to the school.
In D.C., public schools are eligible for federal Title 1 funding if 40% or more of the students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Pangilinan, who has taught computer science at Cardozo for eight years, said Tuesday he’s using the funds to cover Advanced Placement and other end-of-the-year exams for his students.
The “class chat” event is part of a newly launched Amazon Future Engineer initiative, called “Meet an Amazonian.” Through the program, Amazon executives meet and talk with students, and their teachers can facilitate one-hour virtual fulfillment center tours that show the technical behind-the-scenes of its e-commerce platform purchases.
Victor Reinoso, the global director of Amazon Future Engineer and the former deputy mayor of D.C, said computer science education – and meeting current industry leaders – is important for children, regardless of their future careers.
“We started the program because we know the diversity of the tech industry doesn’t match the diversity of the world,” Reinoso said in an interview. “I think the real power of the class chats or ‘Meet an Amazonian’ is knowing somebody that works in that industry helps you begin to think, or at least get curious and begin to see yourself in that role.”
Amazon Future Engineer also awards $10,000 annual scholarships to high school seniors who plan to study computer science at a four-year institution, or $5,000 per year for studies at a two-year college. The recipients, who must apply, are guaranteed a summer Amazon internship after their first year of college.
During the Q&A, students asked Taptich a host of questions, including if he had met Amazon founder and former CEO Jeff Bezos. Answer: Yes. Taptich described the richest person in the world as someone who always knew what to ask, even if he wasn't a specialist in one very technically specific slice of the huge company.
“When I was on the games side, Jeff was a big believer in games,” he said. “Jeff is one of the most remarkable people. I’ll say, generally, the best entrepreneurs in the world are people who don’t always know the right answer but 10 times out of 10, they know exactly the right question to ask. There’s a big difference.”
Is a college degree necessary to reach this level? Taptich didn't think college is a must to succeed, he told the students, but "it helps a lot," he said, especially to expand one's options later on.
Asked what he would advise his high school self, Taptich responded: "get technically grounded and keep an open mind."
One student asked what he does for fun.
“Work is a lot. Work plus family is a lot, a lot. And then I try and get out and exercise as much as possible,” Taptich said. “I kind of had enough of team sports by the time I graduated from college so I do a lot of trail running and I still write for my own personal benefit.”
