This story is part of the My Unsung Hero series, from the Hidden Brain team. It features stories of people whose kindness left a lasting impression on someone else.
In 2007, when Jon Hegwood was 16, he found out he was going to become a father. By the following year, he was working two jobs, caring for his baby and attending classes at Irion County High School in Mertzon, Texas.
Hegwood was overwhelmed. He had enough credits to apply for a GED diploma. He decided to pursue that path and drop out of school. That spring, he made an appointment with his principal, Billy Barnett, to share his decision.
"He brings me into his closet of an office, sits me down," Hegwood recalled. "And I told him that I was ready to drop out of high school because I had two jobs and a baby at home and I was living in the real world."
Barnett implored him to reconsider, but Hegwood had made up his mind.
"I told him that it was my choice and that I had more important things to do with my life," Hegwood said.
"And he looked me in the eyes and was like ... 'I understand that you have a lot going on. But it's very important that you finish high school and that you get this diploma, because it's going to shape the rest of your life.'"
Then Barnett made him a deal: if Hegwood stayed in school, he would change Hegwood's schedule, so that he only had to go to class for half of his senior year and only for the first half of each day.
Hegwood agreed. He finished his remaining classes, while continuing to work and care for his son, Ryan. When it finally came time to graduate, he brought Ryan to the ceremony.
"I still have that picture sitting on our desk of myself with my son, who's a baby in that picture — he's now 17 — at my graduation with me, wearing my high school robes," Hegwood said.
When Hegwood joined the Army the following year, his recruiter asked for a copy of his diploma. Hegwood had it, of course, thanks to Barnett.
By then, Hegwood was raising his son with the help of his father. He says he and his son's mother were together when he was born, but split up not long after.
In the military he learned about IT and information security, an industry he continues to work in today. The military is also where Hegwood met his husband; they celebrate their 14-year anniversary this August. Hegwood now serves on a commission in Lacey, Wash., where he advocates for LGBTQ veterans and service members.
It wasn't until last year that Hegwood realized that all of that was made possible by Barnett and his insistence that Hegwood graduate from high school.
"It really set the trajectory of the rest of my life," Hegwood said.
Last year, as he was reflecting on Barnett's act of kindness, Hegwood decided to look him up, to thank him. He discovered that his principal had died in 2019, at age 60.
"And that's really unfortunate," Hegwood said. "But I hope that wherever he is, he knows that he's made an impact on my life specifically — and I'm sure many other students — because I was just one of hundreds that have been around him. And so, I'm really grateful."
My Unsung Hero is also a podcast — new episodes are released every Tuesday. To share the story of your unsung hero with the Hidden Brain team, record a voice memo on your phone and send it to myunsunghero@hiddenbrain.org.
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