K'mari PeedeRyan “RJ” Atwater Jr. was crowned the 25th Mr. N.C. Central University on Oct. 21, 2024. He said he was thankful for the journey and the people that led him to winning this position.
“Being Mr. NCCU means being a voice for the marginalized,” he said. “It gives a voice to people just like me who are too afraid to speak. I love giving back and this position has truly heightened that.”
His platform was to empower the mind, ignite the body, and embrace the challenge during the 2023 campaign season.
“I’m a huge mental health advocate,” Atwater said. “I want to cater to people who deal with theirs in many different ways, whether it’s working out, journaling, or things of that nature.
“You have to embrace the obstacles and tribulations.”
Atwater’s biggest role models growing up were his father and immediate family members.
“My great grandparents, grandma, aunt, and uncle stepped in whenever my dad was too busy working,” he said. “They nurtured me and showed me the ins and outs of being a man. They’ve always seen my potential. ”
His family always encouraged him to go out and try something new. Atwater said that he ran to be Mr. NCCU for them.
“When I went to them and asked if they could see me doing something like this, they said ‘of course’ because they knew the kind of man I could be,” Atwater said.
With the royal court acting as emissaries [the face] for the school and a point of reference for the students, Atwater plans to be an advocate for mental health as Mr. NCCU.
“We might know the right answer, but we’re scared to raise our hand because we’re afraid of failing,” he said. “So I wanna show that it’s okay to speak up, and be something that you know you can be.”
For anyone who is interested in the position, Atwater’s advice is that you step out of your comfort zone, try something new, have fun and most importantly: smile.
