A former gang member was named “Teacher of The Year” by the Missouri Department of Education!
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Darrion Cockrell works as a gym teacher at Crestwood Elementary in St. Louis and he says he started from the bottom as a “Six-deuce-87 Kitchen Crip” gang member during his youth. Cockrell received the award back in October and spoke about his upbringing during the acceptance speech. He says, “I was born to a drug-addicted mother who had two of her six kids by the age of 16. My father was murdered when I was 4, and I began my journey in and out of the foster care system not long after my 6th birthday.”
While giving the speech, he also thanked his physical education teachers who motivated him to improve his life. At 10-years-old, he joined the gang and hated school but those educators took the time to get to know him.
“That was normal life for me. I was going down the wrong path, destined to end up just like my friends — dead or in jail,”
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Cockwell also acknowledged a worker named Ken who looked after him while he resided at a boys’ home in St. Louis. He says Ken taught him how to be compassionate and becoming more vulnerable with his emotions. As he thanked other educators who became a positive influence in his life, Cockwell said his football coach adopted him as told by CBS News.
“When I changed the way I looked at things, the things around me started to change. I had a lot of challenges and a lot of hurdles, and if it were not for those educators who helped me along the way, I wouldn’t be where I am today,”