The Power of Dreams
Tracy Wilkes
By Virginia Holman Photographs by Mark Steelman
I
t is said that the last words of the Buddha were, “Make of yourself a light.” In this season of light and wonder, it’s hard to think of any public figure who has shone as bright and unwaveringly for our city as Tracy Wilkes, the cofounder and force of nature behind Dreams of Wilmington. In 1994, Tracy and her husband, Paul Wilkes, moved to Wilmington, North Carolina. Tracy was then a family therapist with a background in theater. “I often incorporated art into my therapy sessions because I knew that it could help people communicate difficult truths. I also knew that art saves lives, because it saved mine.” Tracy describes her younger self as a troubled youth who was liberated when she had the opportunity as a young adult to channel her energy into the theater. “To put on a show requires skills that a lot of troubled kids don’t have: you have to practice, you have to learn to work with a team, you have to be reliable. And it’s fun to make something.” When Tracy realized Wilmington didn’t have any afterschool arts programming for impoverished kids in the community, she spoke with her therapist colleague Judy Wall, and together, they worked to cofound Dreams of Wilmington. Now in its eighteenth year, Dreams of Wilmington provides afterschool arts-enrichment classes in genres such as dance, theater, photography, writing and music. Approximately 800 children each The Art & Soul of Wilmington
year, most of whom qualify for free or reduced lunches in New Hanover County Public Schools, attend these classes each week. “The immediate benefit is that kids have a safe, interesting place to go, where they can have successful experiences,” says Wilkes. For the kids who attend Dreams year after year, the successes multiply and accrue. The high school graduation rate skyrockets, and many of the kids go on for further education. Tracy just passed the Dreams torch to a new executive director, Matt Carvin. “I helped make and raise this baby for eighteen years. It’s now a mature organization, and I am moving on to dedicate my time to my husband, Paul, and to help him run Home of Hope, our orphanage in India.” It’s clear that it’s an exciting yet bittersweet time of transition in her life. For Tracy, everything she’s done at Dreams has been for the kids. “To see young people who face great odds come to Dreams and not just survive, but flourish, is just the greatest thing.” Tracy pauses for a minute to collect herself, then says quietly, “I’m going to miss that regular contact.” But she’s quick to point out that Dreams has never been about her, and that’s why the organization will continue to thrive and grow under new leadership. Though she’s waiting until the new year to see what else she might be called to do, she’s confident that once she knows, there will be no stopping her. “I’m dogged. I’m not even that smart. I just put on my sneakers every day and show up.” It’s the sort of statement that makes me think that anybody can do great things like Tracy, and that’s exactly what her actions say to her staff, students and friends: that you too have great things to offer. Thank you, Tracy. Wilmington will forever be better because of you. b
December 2014 •
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