Faustino Bernadett Attends National 4-H Council Board Meeting in Nashville
Faustino Bernadett’s longstanding connection to 4-H brought him to Nashville on September 10–11 for the National 4-H Council Board of Trustees meeting. Dr. Bernadett's involvement with the organization dates back well before his career as a physician and philanthropist. Over the years, 4-H has remained an important influence, helping shape the experiences and values that continue to guide his work today.
Rooted in 4-H
Dr. Faustino Bernadett grew up on a farm in Northern California, where he was an active 4-H member. The program's hands-on, learn-by-doing approach stayed with him through UC Davis, UCSF School of Medicine, and a long career in medicine. Looking back, he describes what 4-H gave him as "deceptively simple: a project that was mine." His wife, Dr. Martha Molina Bernadett, serves on the National 4-H Council's Board of Trustees.
Books in Every Child's Hands
In 2004, Dr. Bernadett and Dr. Molina Bernadett founded The Molina Foundation, which has given millions of free books to children in low-income communities. 4-H and Cooperative Extension are among the foundation's partners. Because 4-H reaches young people in cities, suburbs and rural towns alike, it's an ideal way to get books into the homes of families who need them most.
A National Honor
Dr. Bernadett's commitment to 4-H has been recognized at the highest level. In 2017, he received the 4-H Distinguished Alumni Medallion at the National 4-H Legacy Awards in Washington, D.C. He was one of three 4-H alumni to receive the Medallion that year.
"I owe 4-H far more than it could ever owe me," Faustino "Tino" Bernadett says. "The recognition just reminded me that I've never really stopped being a 4-H kid, and that the debt is one you pay forward, not back."
Looking Ahead
The Nashville meeting brought together trustees and supporters with a shared goal: making sure 4-H keeps reaching young people in every corner of the country. For Dr. Bernadett, staying involved is a way to give back to the program that gave him his start. It's also a way to help the next generation of 4-H'ers learn by doing, just as he did on the family farm.
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