Flashback to 40 years ago and Wilkinson would tell you his life plans do not include teaching. His father was a teacher and an administrator for Milwaukee Public Schools, and his mother was a Catholic grade school teacher. He had no intention of taking a similar path.

 

“I came from that tradition (teaching), but I knew the toughest thing in the world was to be a teacher. My mom was always correcting papers, and I saw the toll the job took on my dad. The one thing I was sure of was: I was not going to be a teacher.”

 

But after all this time, teaching has brought blessings to his life, as well as countless blessings to the places he’s brought his talent.

 

It was a good thing he changed his mind.

 

Although Wilkinson is lucky in that his interests are infused with his daily work educating girls, his passions emerged in predominately male settings.

 

While studying Spanish in college, he was asked by his alma mater, Marquette University High School, to accompany a group to Guatemala as their Spanish interpreter. The trip was focused around social justice, and he realized he could combine his love of Spanish and social justice.

 

Around the same time, he was playing baseball for Lawrence University and then started to coach the sport he’s loved since he was a young boy. “Once I started coaching, I realized (instructing) was something I really wanted to do.”

 

And he’s good at it. As the varsity baseball coach at Kettle Moraine High School, he led his teams to two Classic 8 championships in 2017 and 2018. He coached JV baseball at MUHS for 20 years and varsity for 11, leading them to WIAA Division 1 state championships in 2006 and 2008. Over his career at Kettle Moraine and MUHS, his teams have won over 300 games.

 

But academically, the combination of Spanish, social justice, and teaching led him to three different institutions—MUHS, replacing his high school Spanish teacher; Nativity Jesuit Academy, serving as principal; and finally, DSHA as a Spanish teacher and the Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator.

 

In what he describes as a somewhat “gutsy” move, Wilkinson didn’t have a job lined up when he decided to move on from Nativity Jesuit.

 

Call it luck or fate, but not long after he became briefly unemployed, Wilkinson ran into DSHA Principal Dan Quesnell, who was playing with his daughters at Hart Park, close to his Wauwatosa home. Wilkinson and Quesnell go way back—Wilkinson was Quesnell’s high school baseball coach at MUHS.

 

Quesnell learned that “Wilk”, as he affectionately calls his old coach, was looking to get back into a classroom, so when a Spanish opening became available at DSHA, he encouraged him to apply.

 

 

Shortly after, Wilkinson was able to use his passions teaching Spanish again, but at a school that is deeply rooted in social justice through the Salvatorian mission.

 

“The idea of all girls to me fit right into the idea that now it’s time for young women to take their rightful place in the all-male hierarchy or patriarchy,” Wilkinson said. “That appealed to me very much.”

 

To say Wilkinson was a good fit at DSHA is an understatement. Quesnell said that Wilkinson’s experience is so vast—he teaches high level classes like AP Spanish and Spanish for Spanish Speakers—and he made the World Languages department stronger.

 

In addition, four years ago, Quesnell approached Wilkinson and asked if he would take on the task of splitting his time between teaching and guiding the school to become more inclusive and aware of diversity opportunities. Wilkinson said yes and became the Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator. He sent bi-weekly updates to faculty and staff to educate them on diversity issues around the world. And with the help of the Student Diversity Commission, he created and facilitated Dasher Dialogues, a program in which students are free to speak about current events that deal with issues of race, religion and culture. Quesnell notes this program is now a part of the fabric of DSHA.

 

But his efforts go far beyond the emails and dialogues. He is the moderator of the Furia Latina club at DSHA, which supports and promotes Latina culture; he organizes Multicultural Week, a week full of activities celebrating diversity; he acts as a translator between the school and many Latina families; and he is part of the Bridge Builders program, which helps first generation students navigate the college admissions process.

 

“I’m grateful for the opportunity and the freedom to come up with programs to try,” Wilkinson said. “I love the idea of challenging institutions, students, faculty, and staff to think about what our potential is and how we can reach that potential.”

 

While creating change can take time, Wilkinson was patient, building trust and relationships one by one. He firmly believes in the people that make up DSHA.

 

“He is all about building community,” said Quesnell. “He brings people together and is a calming influence.”

 

Wilkinson has certainly become a calming influence to the Latina population at DSHA. His care and concern for both the girls and their families is apparent, and they love him back. At this year’s Multicultural Production, a group of Latina girls performed a Quinceañera dance and asked Wilkinson to perform with them.

 

But whether he’s with Latina students or not, Wilkinson has a talent for connecting with others. He teaches because it allows him to form friendships with his students and the staff around him.

 

“Without relationships, I would not like teaching as much,” he said. “It’s not about the subject to me exactly, it’s about the relationship.”

 

Although he may have felt like a fish out of water coming into an all-girls environment, Wilkinson said the transition wasn’t that shocking and even fairly easy. “The girls are studious, goal-oriented, and open to learning. They take their education very seriously,” he notes.

 

“I loved and valued, and dare I say, I might prefer teaching young women at this point in my life,” he said.

 

He realizes something would have been missing if he continued to stay at all-boys institutions.

 

“Had I not had the opportunity to teach girls, there would have been a huge hole,” he said. “I can’t think of a better way to finish. I hope the world is ready for these young women. They’re coming, and it’s going to be good.”