Catching a Dream: My Journey Helping HIV/AIDS–Impacted Youth

Dream Catcher graphic on a teal background with the phrase Catching a Dean inside.

Patricia Hillkirk is standing with two young girls. One of the girl is sitting on a swing

Patricia Hillkirk, ’82 IFS
Founder and Director of Camp Dreamcatcher

Lecture Details

Date: Thursday, October 24, 2013
Time: 4:00 p.m. Lecture
Location: Bennett Pierce Living Center, 110 Henderson Building
University Park, PA

The event is free and open to the public.

About Patricia Hillkirk

Patricia Hillkirk, `82 IFS, founder/director of Camp Dreamcatcher, will present the 2013 Distinguished Alumni Speaker Series lecture. Her lecture, titled " Catching a dream – my journey helping HIV/AIDS impacted youth" will be given at 7:00 p.m., Thursday, October 24, in the Bennett Pierce Living Center, 110 Henderson Building. The event, sponsored by the College of Health and Human Development Alumni Society, is free and open to the public.

Hillkirk has worked with at-risk youth for over 30 years. She spent many years working with teenagers in residential treatment centers and then as a counselor with survivors of trauma. She established a private psychotherapy practice in 1990, specializing in work with trauma survivors and people with special needs.

Most recently, Hillkirk has been working as executive director of Camp Dreamcatcher, an organization she created in 1996 that surrounds children impacted by HIV/AIDS with love, compassion, and support. The camp has grown to include free year-round programming for HIV/AIDS-impacted youth from Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, and New York. .

Distinguished Speaker Series

The Distinguished Alumni Speaker Series was established by the Board of Directors of the College of Health and Human Development Alumni Society in order to feature prominent graduates of the college who are leaders in their fields. The board's mission is to facilitate and promote the participation of alumni in activities that support the college's pursuit of excellence.