CHARLOTTE -- "He is really someone who has made an impact on how I see my day."

For Mallard Creek High School student, Emma Mallon, JROTC instructor, 1SG Brian Edwards is someone who has impacted not just her day, but her life.

"If it's really going bad, I kind of think of how he views life as everyday is a happy day and everyday is a good day,” said Mallon.

Principal Kevin Garay echoes the same sentiment. "He goes more than the extra mile in shaping outcomes for students."

1SG Edwards served more than two decades in the Army, but now you can find him helping run the JROTC program at Mallard Creek High School, one of the school's largest programs.

"I try to make sure my attitude and behavior is consistent in terms of how I approach students each and everyday,” said 1SG Edwards.

1SG Edwards goes above and beyond, helping mentor and guide mostly freshmen students.

"I attend their classes, I drop in on their classes to make sure they are doing the types of things we teach them in JROTC,” said 1SG Edwards.

That includes checking grades in their classes.

 "I look at grades that they have in each one of their classes, to make sure that they are tracking their classes, if they are missing something,” said 1SG Edwards.

It’s something he does to help steer students down the right path.

"The teachers and staff here come to us when our students are maybe sliding off the tracks just a little bit and we are able to get them back on the track," said 1SG Edwards

The impact on students has been huge with about $1.5 million worth of scholarship money for seniors, and more students walking across the graduation stage.

"We do have a 100 percent graduation rate, so our students that come to Mallard Creek JROTC graduated at a much higher rate than anybody else in the school,” said 1SG Edwards.

Mallon says 1SG Edwards' attitude keeps her motivated.

"He's really someone who has changed my life for the better," said Mallon.

It's clear his attitude is as contagious as his smile at the school, but this hero is humble, saying "just excited and motivated to be here...excited to serve the students of Mallard Creek."

Do you know someone in your community making a difference? Email us at everydayheroes@charter.com.