You see him in the hallways wearing a bright smile, but you’d never suspect he has the title of ‘Doctor,’ would you? Safety Staff member Henry Henderson Jr. is an ordinary-looking man with a vast amount of achievements and inspiring charm.
Henderson moved from South Florida to Schenectady 12 years ago. He initially began working in the district as a volunteer when his children were attending Schenectady High School. After his children graduated, he was offered a position at the school, and has been working here ever since.
Schenectady High School isn’t his first time working with youth. He was previously a bus driver, and has always been surrounded by children.
Life growing up in South Florida left him around many people who “strayed away from their teachings.” The drug scene was always prevalent, but Henderson said he never drifted from what his mother taught him.
Henderson’s mother, Lillie R. Stevens Henderson, inspired him, teaching him the importance of independence at a young age. He says without independence, “You become codependent [so] you gotta learn to stand on your own.”
Mrs. Henderson taught her son creativity, and instilled many values in him, like respect. She is the reason he knows how to be a “survivor,” and to “make something out of nothing.” She was and still is his role model.
Additionally, Henderson has always been immersed in music. He recently had a memorable performance singing and playing piano on the gospel hymn, His Eye is on the Sparrow, at the Black History Month assembly in Schenectady High School. He started off his musical career dabbling with the guitar, and is a self-taught pianist. Before he moved to New York state, he also performed with artists like Fred Hammond, a gospel singer.
His connection to his faith and the church go beyond performing spiritual music. Henderson is currently a senior pastor at the Temple of Praise Family Worship Center in Albany, New York.
Although Henderson grew up in a religious environment, he didn’t always want to be a pastor. His father, Henry Henderson Sr. was a bishop, while his mother was a missionary in the church. He claims he strayed away at times, but he says, “I always found myself grounded.” Henderson eventually accepted religion to be “a reality in his life,” and he is “glad [he] did.”
Henderson is also a published author. His first novel, The Transformed Soul: The wilderness experience, was published in 2023. He began writing his book by compiling things together on napkins and pieces of paper. But one day, he “just accidentally dialed the wrong number, a publisher.” The rest is history. He anticipates his second book, Exiting My Wilderness, to be released in the summer of 2025.
Don’t be fooled by either his current or previous jobs— Henderson has his doctorate in theological and Biblical studies. Additionally, his experiences with adolescents and his own life drew him to behavioral science. Henderson says he “always [had] in the back of [his] mind wanting to help someone.”
His college journey started off as any typical one. He attended a trade college in Birmingham, Alabama, with the intention of pursuing a career in electronics. The college eventually went bankrupt, and Henderson was faced with the difficult decision of what to do next.
Henderson ended up attending both Robert Wesleyan College and the University of Alabama at Birmingham and received his master’s in Behavioral Science. He pursued his Doctorate in Theological and Biblical Studies at Liberty University in Virginia. Between his time attending both universities, he transferred to New York state to finish his religious studies.
Henderson interacts with a multitude of students in the hallways, all with vastly different backgrounds. When he looks at them, he sees “versatility… some are confused.” He also sees “anger” in some of the students. He encourages students to not get involved with trouble. “Because once you’re involved, it’s easy to get into, but it’s hard to get out of,” he said. He advises students to be cautious of the things they do, especially relating to the drug scene in the high school.
“The purpose of being in school [is] to learn,” Henderson says.
His advice to students is to “stay focused” and as much as possible to go to class. Henderson believes if they “stay focused and stay in class,” you’ll hear something and “it’s gonna resonate in you.”
