LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Jerry Webb was nominated by a colleague, Brian Copes.

For more than thirty years, Mr. Webb has devoted his life to something far greater than teaching; he has dedicated it to transforming futures. As a Career and Technical Education (CTE) instructor, his work has always been about more than wiring circuits or building structures. It has been about lighting a spark in young people, helping them discover that their hands can build hope, their minds can solve real problems, and their hearts can change the world.

At IVY Academy, Mr. Webb has led the Next Generation Sustainable Living (NGSL) program. This program isn't just a class. It's a mission. Students don't simply learn skills; they use those skills to lift others. They design solar-powered systems that reach across oceans. They build off-grid tiny homes that give struggling communities new beginnings. They engineer solar backpacks that carry not just power, but possibility. With each project, something extraordinary happens. Students begin to understand that their work matters. They see the direct impact of their craftsmanship, creativity, and courage. They realize they are capable of changing lives, and in that moment, their own lives begin to change, too. 

"One of the most powerful experiences in my career has been traveling with students to Honduras, where we installed a solar-powered computer lab in a community that had never known electricity. Watching my students place a computer mouse into the hands of a child who had never touched technology, watching them power up a room full of possibilities, was life-shifting. My students came home different. They came home wiser. They came home understanding the weight and worth of what they can do," said Webb.

That same sense of purpose grew when his students created solar backpacks for teachers in Ukraine. These backpacks allowed teachers to record lessons, even when the grid was down. Later, they provided light and communication inside bomb shelters, helping children message their parents to know when it was safe to come out.

"With every backpack shipped, my students understood they weren't just building equipment. They were protecting an entire generation's right to learn," said Webb.

When hurricanes devastated Jamaica, his students built and shipped solar suitcases to help teachers and medical staff power essential devices. They learned that engineering isn't just wiring. It's empathy. It's showing up for people you may never meet. 

Over the years, Mr. Webb's students have built an off-grid ECO village from the ground up, designed and raced electric cars, and installed renewable energy systems that help communities thrive. These projects forge more than technical skill; they build resilience, creativity, leadership, and compassion. Students who once doubted themselves discover courage. Students who feel unseen find purpose. Students who thought they had nothing to give learn they have the power to change the world. 

Mr. Webb has been recognized for his work, including receiving the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence. However, his greatest reward is seeing former students return as adults, telling him that the work they did in his class shaped their futures, their careers, and their character.

Mr. Webb's teaching philosophy is simple, yet powerful: education should awaken purpose. Every young person has the potential to be a builder not only of structures and systems, but of hope, stability, and change. What motivates him is witnessing the moment a student realizes that their skills can serve others. The moment they see someone's face light up because of something they built. The moment they discover that kindness, innovation, and courage are just as important as tools and training. Those are the moments that transform students into leaders and classrooms into launchpads for compassion.

"That is why I teach. To turn knowledge into kindness. To turn skill into service. To turn students into world changers. And every day, I am humbled to walk beside them as they discover the extraordinary power they already carry within themselves," said Webb.