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It’s Going be Busy Summer For Special Olympics Student From Hazelwood NW Middle
Justin Bernhardt, an eighth-grade student at Hazelwood Northwest Middle School, is going to have a busy, fulfilling summer, due to his association with Special Olympics of Missouri (SOMO).
Justin is one of 12 students selected to represent SOMO at a Missouri Association of Student Councils leadership camp at William Woods University in Fulton. The camp is structured for students in seventh through 12th grades. For two years, Special Olympics has taken athletes to the camp to teach leadership skills and build confidence, as well as teach other participating students about the abilities of Special Olympics athletes and give everyone the opportunity to work side-by-side on projects.
His mother, Julie Bernhardt, said that her son was nervous, yet excited about the camp because he would be meeting new people from different middle schools, high schools and colleges.
“It’s is a new obstacle for him to overcome, being away from home without a familiar face. He hopes to share with them the knowledge that everybody is different in their own special way and that you have to work hard at everything in life,” said Mrs. Bernhardt.
Although he is not currently involved in student council at school, Justin is representing Hazelwood Northwest Middle at the camp. He is unsure if he will join student council in the coming school year, but more importantly, he would like to be a role model and leadership ambassador for Special Olympics, his mother explained.
After he returns from leadership camp, Justin will focus his time and energy getting ready for the Special Olympics National Games in Lincoln, Neb., to be held July 18 through July 23. He is a member of the MO Magic, or Team Missouri, basketball squad.
He has been playing basketball with SOMO for five years. He is a guard and forward, and enjoys the sport.
“I like being on the court against people who are taller and bigger,” he said. Then with a slight smile, he said, “I stuff ‘em.”
Bernhardt said Justin is the youngest on the team, “but can score three-pointers and maneuver a ball with the best of them.” She said the sport came naturally to him, and that he has good speed.
“And hops,” Justin added.
Being involved in Special Olympics is a family affair for the Bernhardt’s. The family is traveling with Justin to the national games, but his sister, Jessica, a junior at Hazelwood West High School, will be there for another reason.
“Since he’s going to be with the team, our family will be there to support him the whole way. I’ll be there as a volunteer and as a fan,” said Jessica.
This isn’t her first experience as a Special Olympics volunteer. She has helped with her brother’s team in various ways, and has volunteered at the annual Special Olympics unified track and field meet at Hazelwood West. She wants to help at the national games “for the experience.”
“I’m proud of him and I’m very excited for him,” said Jessica. “He’s stuck with it, he always gives 110 percent and he’s always outside shooting hoops when he’s not practicing. He has kept his grades up through all of this, too.”
“I’m very proud of both of them,” said Bernhardt. “The bond between the two is strong and they are protective of one another.”
“The changes in Justin alone have been amazing,” she said, explaining that before he became a SOMO athlete, he was “a shy, frightened little boy who didn’t understand why people made fun of him. He didn’t know that there were other individuals like him that had challenges.”
“He has not only made wonderful friendships within the SOMO family, he has made new friends at school and out of school, which he never would have done before Special Olympics,” she continued.
“Since he has been at Hazelwood Northwest Middle, he has learned that to others his age, he is just another guy hanging out with his buddies.”
Besides basketball, Justin plays soccer and baseball and likes to bike. He is teaching himself to play the bass guitar, while his sister is learning the acoustic guitar. At school, Jessica is involved in Pep Club, volleyball and National Honor Society, and she works at Taco Bell.
Justin and Anton Jones, a junior at Hazelwood East High School, are teammates representing Missouri with the Special Olympics at the national games. Earlier this spring, Jones was featured in story from the District about his experience with SOMO. (story courtesy of Hazelwood Communications Dept.)
