I love stories like these. Redemption is the thing they make movies about. My older brother has gone through some rough times and I always tell him, bro, it’s never too late!

For a guy who was the son of a drug addict and whose father was murdered when he was 4, Darrion Cockrell was headed down the same path. At 10, Darrion joined a gang and that was pretty normal for the neighborhood he grew up in.

Darrion says he owes his life to teachers that cared about him. That’s what a good teacher and coach can do, change the trajectory of your life.

Ladies and gentlemen, the 2021 Missouri Teacher of the Year from Crestwood Elementary School, Darrion Cockrell.

Teachers like “Mr. DC”, Missouri’s 2021 Teacher of Year, go above and beyond to make sure their students are taught compassion and perseverance! Darrion Cockrell joins us to share how his life was shifted and saved by his middle school teachers. pic.twitter.com/EJilUIGPyZ

— Tamron Hall Show (@TamronHallShow) December 14, 2020