LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Henry Darby was nominated by Brian Copes, 2017-18 LifeChanger of the Year Grand Prize Winner.

"I personally do not know Principal Darby, but a story circulated on social media that captivated me about this man and his compassion for his students," said Copes. "He is the living example of 'Do Good, Be Good, Make Good.' NPR Radio told his story."

Mr. Darby took on a part-time job at Walmart, stocking shelves from 10 PM-7 AM for three nights every week. He has been using the paychecks from that work to help make sure kids from his school have food and basic supplies, or to help their families pay their bills. Some money has also gone to former students who need help, or to teachers at his school who need a boost.

Mr. Darby already has two jobs. In addition to being a principal, he serves on the Charleston County Council. His drive to help others, however, led him to take a third job, so he started working at Walmart last August. His shifts end just in time for him to drive to North Charleston High School before morning classes started.

It was supposed to be a secret, a quiet way to support people who desperately need help. Despite Mr. Darby's efforts to stay under the radar, however, one of his students recognized him on the first night he worked at Walmart.

In the weeks since people realized how much Mr. Darby was doing to help others, many have stepped forward both to praise him and to help him raise money for families who need it. Walmart gave his school a $50,000 check. Together, two crowdfunding pages devoted to his cause have raised more than $195,000. The Today Show has visited Mr. Darby's school to celebrate him, and the governor of South Carolina, Henry McMaster, presented him with the Order of the Palmetto.

Mr. Darby has said his generosity reflects his own struggles, including the loss of his father at a young age and his mother when he was in college. At those times, others stepped in to help him. From his childhood onward, Mr. Darby was used to working multiple jobs to get by.

When he was younger, he and his mother would collect milk and soda bottles from the roadside, hoping to save money to help pay for his education. They took trips to the dump, not to throw things away, but to find anything that could help them get by. All along the way, his mother constantly bragged to her friends, "My son is going to become a teacher." While his mother died before she could see her dreams for him fulfilled, they still became reality because of her hardship and sacrifices.