Turning the Tassle
For Alvin Hawkes, the thought of becoming a teacher had always been in the back of his mind.
Hawkes, whose wife teaches at Snellville Middle School in Gwinnett County, was working as a paint contractor when one of
his customers suggested he consider a career in education.
"A woman came in who was a principal at a local school, and she said, 'You should think about teaching,'" he explained.
Fast forward to May 6 when, after enrolling at Georgia State University and working hard to earn his teaching degree, Hawkes celebrated his achievements with his peers at the COE's Spring Convocation.
Hawkes graduated this month with his bachelor's degree in middle level education and hopes to find a job teaching middle school math, while his friend and fellow middle level education graduate Dametra Lester hopes to get a job teaching middle school English.
"I hope that a school hires me and lets me try some of the innovative teaching ideas we learned in our program," Lester said. "I hope to maintain a career working with students."
Hawkes and Lester were two of 211 graduating students who attended the ceremony, which took place in the Georgia State University Sports Arena.
To continue reading about Spring Convocation, click here.
Photo caption: Kent McGuire, president and CEO of the Southern Education Foundation (SEF), served as guest speaker for the College of Education's Spring Convocation.
