Lasting Impact: Dwight Lewis Continues to Build Strong Relationships
2/24/2021 12:15:00 PM | General
“Our student-athletes love him. Dwight has a unique way of providing assurance, instruction and giving sound advice.” - Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Development Ashley Wechter
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- When Wake Forest basketball star LD Williams was struggling in the middle of his sophomore campaign, associate athletic director Dwight Lewis was there for him. The same holds true for women's basketball standout Porsche Jones, who turned to Lewis for guidance after an injury derailed her junior season with the Deacs.
So many Wake Forest student-athletes have relied on the steady guiding hands of Lewis throughout his two decades in Winston-Salem. Recently retired deputy athletic director Barbara Walker knows better than anyone, having helped recruit him to Wake Forest after the two worked together at the University of Oregon in the late 1990s.
"I saw how he related to the student-athletes," Walker said. "He was very much involved in recruiting at Oregon, and for other sports. Just his personality and genuine caring for the student-athletes set him apart."
"I have this passion for education, and a passion to see young people become the best they can become so that they can see the best version of themselves," Lewis said. "I've been fortunate to work with some phenomenal students, staff and faculty across campus. With that, the greatest part is seeing student-athletes who struggle initially to get to the podium and graduate — delayed gratification is worth every bit of it."
He considers his first role models his mother and father. Lewis' father was a Marine, who gave him the go ahead to play football. He played at Chico State (CA) and earned a degree in psychology, before getting a chance to play professional football in the Canadian Football League.
The football playing days didn't last long, as a knee injury cut Lewis' career short before it really got started.
"As excited as I was to participate in professional sports, the depression, frustration, anger and letdown that I felt was huge," he said. "It took me some time to get my head right and get back together."
His parents didn't give him much time to sulk, as it was the day after he returned home than an ultimatum was issued. Lewis had to choose between going back to school, get a job or join the military. Regardless of the decision, he had just 30 days to get back out of the house with his life put back together.
"I only had 30 days to get out of the house, so that's motivation," Lewis said.
He earned his Master's in social science from Chico State in 1996 and started his first job in collegiate athletics working with coach Mike Bellotti at Oregon.
It's his own knee injury that helped lead to a strong bond with Porsche Jones back during the winter of 2005-06 as she was dealing with her own season-ending injury.
"He was one of the people who helped me through that," Jones said. "He took an interest in how we did in our school work, but also wanted to make sure we were overall good people when we left Wake Forest. He wanted to make sure we were ready to contribute. We stay in contact now. He's one of the most positive people who I worked with while at Wake Forest.
For LD Williams, who was a team captain on the men's basketball team for three seasons and two-time All-ACC defender, it was the overwhelming demands of being a Wake Forest student-athlete that sent him to Lewis' office.
"From the time I stepped on campus, D Lew was a sounding board for us," Williams said. "It was definitely great just to go in his office, vent and talk about anything. To have that person who was our rock was something great. He had no other agenda than making our experience at Wake Forest better. He's been a big-time mentor for me, even after I left Wake Forest."
Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Development Ashley Wechter has seen Lewis at work both as a student herself and then later as a colleague.
"I've had the pleasure of being around Dwight for 12 years of my life," she said. "He is one of the most caring and charismatic individuals I've ever been around. I feel fortunate that he mentored me during my days as a student-athlete, and was vocal in bringing me back to work here. Together, we now have an opportunity to mold the next generation through personal and career development. Our student-athletes love him. He has a unique way of providing assurance, instruction and giving sound advice."
Lewis continues to engage with Wake Forest student-athletes, alumni and campus partners through various committees and community work. Lewis puts his personal touch and learned experiences into Athletics diversity and inclusion efforts, and resides on the Athletics R.I.D.E. (Realizing Inclusion, Diversity and Equity) Committee and ACC Core. Additionally, he currently leads our "Real Talk" Mentoring meetings, which engages black male student-athletes monthly.
.jpg&height=340&type=webp)