Patch Whiz Kid of the Week: Pat Tracy, 18
School: Somerville High School
Accomplishment: Highlander boys varsity basketball starting guard Pat Tracy has for years mentored students with developmental disabilities and was recently accepted to the University of Connecticut’s business school.
How he got there: Tracy said that, looking back, he shouldn’t have been nervous about transferring to Somerville High School his junior year.
“This school is really welcoming as a whole,” he said. “Everybody wants to be your friend.”
To make other students feel just as welcome, Tracy joined the high school’s Best Buddies Club, an international chapter organization that promotes friendships between students in regular and special education. Tracy and his buddy talk about history and attend monthly club events and field trips together.
For the past five summers, Tracy has also volunteered and later worked at the Kennedy School’s SPARKS program supervising students with autism, cerebral palsy or other conditions.
His aunt, Kathleen Houghton, runs the program. Houghton’s sister has cerebral palsy, and she said that Tracy’s familiarity with the condition prepared him to work with developmentally disabled students.
Houghton said that as the only male staff member, Tracy relates well to the male students. He plays poker and basketball with them and encourages them to make posters of their favorite sports teams.
“When he first met the kids in the summer program, he was impressed with how fun they are and how much fun you can have with them,” Houghton said. “I think he sees that a lot of things are a real challenge for them, and he really appreciates that.”
Still, Tracy said that supervising the students is a challenge, but one that allows him to practice the communication and management skills that he plans to hone at business school. He won't be able to play college basketball, but his coach, Mark Antonelli, said that Tracy always understood his limits and capabilities.
"He's got goals in life," Antonelli said. "He understands what he needs to do to get where he wants to be."
