2 minute read
Making a Difference, One Story at a Time
from PDS Life Winter 2022
by PDS Health®
TRACY SMITH, Manager, Talent Development // Midwest region // Employed at PDS: 7 years
From dewy-eyed sixth graders to freshly-licensed high school seniors, Tracy Smith has spent the last 24 years dedicating her free time to a non-profit and faith-based ministry helping students navigate the challenging time of adolescence. Many of her students are disconnected from their parents and some deal with serious life issues such as abuse or suicidal ideation, underscoring the significance of Tracy’s impact in creating a nurturing, solid foundation.
For Tracy, it’s simple to pinpoint what fulfills her about working with the youth: investing in the next generation. Whether acting as a mentor and helping them find purpose or lending a listening ear, Tracy often serves as more than a role model, but a friend and confidant. Tracy sees her work as much more than a short-term mentorship or occasional weekend labor of love, it’s a calling.
Through Bible study, sporting events, mission or camp trips and coffee runs, she’s able to intentionally build relationships and guide the students in personal development.
Many of these relationships have developed into friendships long after the kids are grown. Tracy recalled one significant story where she reached out to a young girl coping with depression and suicidal thoughts. Instead of focusing on the negative, Tracy helped the girl, a talented artist, transform her mind through art. With Tracy’s guidance, she went on to pursue a degree in Psychology and is now working with at-risk teens at a juvenile detention center.
“My faith and the relationships I have built over time are extremely important to me,” Tracy said. “Relationships can only be built by honest, vulnerable conversations which allow us to help each other grow.”
