We had the good fortune of connecting with Junior Bernadin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Junior, what is the most important factor behind your success?
As I reflect on the numerous experiences in my life, I can’t help but think about the driving forces in my life. My life is grounded by multiple factors that include but are not limited to God, family, and friends. These three influencers in my life were instrumental in helping me to understand that to be successful, you need a purpose. My ultimate goal is to help people, especially our youth. This purpose allows me to redirect talent and resources to a career field that enables me to not only mentor and motivate the youth, but also train educators to do the same. When your purpose is rooted in positivity and uplifting others, the real magic happens. When you are walking in God’s mission, the universe aligns itself in a way that will show that you are in the right place. Your purpose will allow your heart to be at peace and for you to live with no regrets. I challenge you to find your purpose!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have had the pleasure of working at the Ron Clark Academy (RCA) for 11 years, and I am the proudest of what we have been able to accomplish in education. RCA is a highly-acclaimed, non-profit middle school located in Southeast Atlanta. The Academy has received both national and international recognition for its success in educating students with academic rigor, passion, and creativity balanced by a strict code of discipline. Our 4th – 8th-grade students represent various socio-economic and educational backgrounds and communities from across the metro region. One of the unique things about RCA is that we also serve as an educator training facility. We have provided in-person professional development for 80,000 educators and have had audiences of over 200,000 educators for our online training. What I love about RCA is that we have the hardest working staff that you can find on the face of the earth. They work hard at creating magical moments for our students while also leading a revolution that impacts kids/educators all around the world. The brilliant and talented RCA staff are willing to go above and beyond for our students. Being around this level of intelligence and creativity daily has allowed me to grow exponentially as a professional. Living in a purpose that touches the entire world is not an easy task. As a school, standing up and speaking to educators about difficult topics like race, discrimation, and LGBTQ issues is not an easy task. Trying to promote change can be exhausting, but I find comfort in knowing that we are doing it together as an organization. Together, we will continue to move forward and be the change that we want to see.

Any great local spots you’d like to shoutout?
If my best friend came to town, here is what our itinerary would look like: Sunday Church – Elizabeth Baptist Church Brunch – Ray’s on the River Hangout – Battery Park (VOID virtual reality experience) Dinner – India Chef in Roswell Monday Breakfast – Flying Biscuit Breakfast Hangout – Atlanta Beltline Lunch – Ann’s Snack Bar Hangout – Georgia Aquarium/Coca-Cola World Dinner – Herban Fix Tuesday Breakfast – Highland Bakery Hangout – Climb Stone Mountain Lunch – Matador’s Mexican Cantina Hangout – MLK National Historical Park and Center Dinner and Hangout – Atlantic Station Wednesday Breakfast – R. Thomas Deluxe Grill Hangout – CNN Studio Tour Lunch – Spoon Eastside (Thai) Hangout – Mid-Atlanta Segway Tour Dinner – Vortex Thursday Breakfast – Highland Bakery Hangout – Skyview Atlanta Hangout – Bury the Hatchet Lunch – Clifton’s Jamrock Hangout – Escape the Woods Dinner – Juicy Grab Friday Breakfast – Hangout – Stoddard’s Range and Guns Lunch – Poor Calvin’s Hangout – National Center for Civil and Human Rights Hangout – Ponce City Market Dinner – Rooftop of Ponce City Market Saturday Breakfast – Studio Cafe Hangout – Porsche – Driving Experience Lunch – Gustos Hangout – College Football Hall of Fame Dinner – Zoey’s Kitchen

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Where do I start? I would first like to thank God for providing me with the experiences and people that I needed to order my steps in this experience that we call life. I am thankful for having so many people that have played an active role in making me who I am today. I want to shout out to my family for instilling principles and virtues that define the very fabric of the Haitian American who I am today. Your sacrifices, love, and willingness to keep me on the right path are the reasons that I am here today. You taught me not only how to survive, but that a person’s real value is not in material possessions, but how they impact the lives of others. I am thankful for my loving wife who continues to help me become a better version of myself. Thank you for standing by my side, giving me balance, and reminding me to stop and smell the roses. I am also thankful for the men of the Mighty Mighty Chi Theta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. You taught me the value of 24 hours and the greatness that you can create when you dedicate yourself to a noble cause. You also taught me the true definition of manhood, scholarship, perseverance, and uplifting others. Thank you to the entire RCA family for helping me to understand and fine-tune my purpose in life. I was able to expand my horizons through the experiences and all of our heartfelt moments to change education for the world. To all my friends, know that you are much appreciated. You never stop believing in me, even during the moments that I didn’t believe in myself. Know that you all have played a significant role in my life and that I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for the life lessons that you have taught me. Love you all.

Website: www.ronclarkacademy.com
Instagram: @mrjbernadin
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbernadin/
Twitter: @jbernadin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jbernadin1911
Other: www.juniorbernadin.com

Image Credits
Photos taken by J. Amezqua