All means all in RISD. Every student. Every stakeholder. All are loved, and all are integral to RISD’s Vision Statement – Where all students connect, learn, grow, and succeed.
Mr. Willie is one of the all. Willie Bernard’s job title is daytime custodian at Spring Creek Elementary, but he’s much more than that.
Assistant Principal Karen Fields said his larger-than-life personality is the heartbeat of the school.
“The sly smile and booming voice that greet us every school day with tunes jamming and megaphone in hand gets all of Spring Creek off to a happy start, and keeps us in order too,” Fields said. “Mr. Willie is the watchful eye, go-to-guy, pick-me-up heartbeat of our school.”
Mr. Willie is retiring at the end of the month after a decade at Spring Creek Elementary and another five years at Richardson Heights Elementary.
“To really appreciate all the good vibes that Willie Bernard shares, you must know his story,” Fields said. “He came to Dallas in late 2005 as a Hurricane Katrina survivor. He was pulled from the rooftop of his flooded home in New Orleans and sought shelter in the Dallas Convention Center with his wife and two brothers. The father of five has survived the loss of a son in a car accident, as well as the loss of his beloved wife, Angel. Through it all, he continues to share his heart that’s full of love and bigger than Texas with our school each day. Everyone feels it! Thousands of students through the years have come to love Mr. Willie as much as he loves all of us.”
Click here to view the NBC 5 vignette on Mr. Willie. WFAA Channel 8 also profiled Mr. Willie.
All of RISD is grateful for Mr. Willie. All of us. #RISDPowerOfLove
