Photo by Carrie Pryor-Newman
Eric Henrichsen, a teacher at Stephen F. Austin Elementary, takes time to work on his classroom after helping some students and their parents demo their house after Harvey.
Teacher helps students’ family
By: Susan Passmore
When April Dobberstein and her husband Rhett saw the water rising downstairs in their home, they knew it would be a while before it was livable. The whole demolition process seemed overwhelming – but Eric Henrichsen came to the rescue!
Henrichsen, a teacher at Stephen F. Austin Elementary, was driving through the Whispering Pines subdivision to see if he could help a friend. The friend wasn’t home, so he stopped at the Dobbersteins, whose children Layla and Jack McCarty attend Austin Elementary.
“He has never been my children’s teacher, but everyone knows him because he’s so loved at the school,” said Dobberstein. “His son is in Cub Scouts with our son Jack, so he stopped when he saw my husband and said, ‘Hey, Jack’s dad, can I help?’”
They eagerly accepted Henrichsen’s offer, and for several hours, he helped tear up flooring and take down cabinets and sheetrock. The demo went much quicker with Eric’s capable hands helping out.
“I had been out of town for a week, and none of my family had damage, so I felt like I needed to put in some time helping other people. They were super appreciative, and they were all in pretty good spirits considering there was a tree on their house and their yard was full of things they’d taken out of the house. They were exhausted, but they said they appreciated my energy,” Henrichsen said.
Helping others is a way of life for Henrichsen.
“That’s just the kind of guy he is – always willing to help our neighbors, friends, family, and he even went to his school to help the cafeteria ladies earlier this week,” said his wife Alice Henrichsen, Celebrities Dance and Drill director at Robert E. Lee High School.