By Victoria John
Middle School Teacher, Lakehill Preparatory School
Sometimes a hero is not only the mythic god of Mount Olympus nor a contemporary Jedi knight. Sometimes a hero is someone we see every day, someone we know. In The Hero with a Thousand Faces, noted mythological scholar Joseph Campbell, describes heroes in myth as “practice models for understanding how to live…life principles embedded in the structure of stories.” Within these stories, he describes the qualities and passages of a hero through twelve stages called the hero’s journey. In Adam Bede, novelist George Eliot offers her concept of a hero, “It is more needful that my heart should swell with loving admiration at some trait of gentle goodness in the faulty people who sit at the same hearth with me…than at the deeds of heroes whom I shall never know.”
I am fortunate to know and teach such a hero, sixth grade Lakehill student Charlie Borowczak, who gifts children through the Salvation Army Angel Tree program with his Charlie’s Angels project. In December, as a guest on The Steve Harvey Show in Chicago, Charlie was featured in the Harvey’s Heroes segment. Charlie shared that he became interested in supporting the Angel Tree program when he was in first grade. Since then, each November he goes to NorthPark Mall, chooses angels from the tree and purchases gifts for each child. Charlie funds these gifts by earning all the money himself through pet sitting, car washing or other odd jobs. Recently Charlie bought gifts for 30 angels, spending $100 on each. He says, “It makes him feel good to be Santa Claus for other children.”
When asked if he would describe himself as a hero, Charlie replies, “It makes me feel kind of smug to call myself a hero. I just think of myself as a normal person. I guess I would be a hero to the angels, because I give them a Christmas.”
This young entrepreneur is already planning for the future. “I want to keep helping and inspiring others. I am working on expanding Charlie’s Angels and setting it up as a non-profit. I am spreading the word, and it is going fast.”
Talking with Charlie about his dedication to help children has touched me deeply and reminds me that he has heroic qualities. Charlie is a leader, loyal friend and respected by his peers. He is committed to helping others and genuinely cares about doing his part to make the world a better place. There is a gentle goodness in Charlie. He is someone we all know – he is our own Lakehill everyday hero. With his own words, “A hero needs a persevering spirit and the will to do good no matter what,” Charlie continues his path on the hero’s journey.
