South Carolina principal Henry Darby was gifted with $50,000 from retail giant Walmart for his dedication to his students.
Principal Darby got a third job working overnight at a local Walmart to help out some of his students’ families as they face financial hardship amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In addition to being principal at North Charleston High School, Darby serves as a city council member, representing the city's 4th district.
The Today Show reported that 90% of students at North Charleston High School live below the federal poverty threshold. Principal Darby visits his students on the weekends, doing wellness checks on students.
“I get emotional because when you’ve got children, you’ve heard slept under a bridge, or a former student and her child are sleeping in a car. I wasn’t going to say no,” Darby said in an interview on Friday (January 29).
“At my age, we don’t ask for money; we just don’t.” he added. “You just go ahead and do what you need to do.”
Initially, no one knew that Principal Darby was working three jobs, not even his manager at Walmart. The retailer wanted to honor Darby’s actions, so they reached out to the morning show to organize the surprise for him.
“It leaked out, and this is beyond my greatest imagination,” Principal Darby said.
“You’re awesome, and we appreciate you here at Walmart for all that you’re doing to support your community,” his manager said during the surprise.
“I’m speechless,” Darby responded. “Thank you so very much. This is going to go a very, very long way,” he added.
Darby credits his mother for his duty and dedication, sharing that she instilled in him to be in service to others without expecting anything in return.
Photo: Getty Images