Erica Hawkins, a 23-year-old graduate with a double major in criminal justice and religious studies, posed in her cap and gown outside Walter Stiern Library on May 28.
By Bre Williams
Photographer
For some graduates who walk across the stage, it is their shining moment, but for Erica Hawkins her shining moment is shared with her mother who will be watching her first child to ever graduate college walk across that stage.
Erica, a first generation graduate in the Hawkins family and is also the youngest of 6 children. She is graduating at age 23 with a double major in criminal justice and religious studies.
Erica’s father who passed away a few months before she was born took some college, and her mother never finished high school. Erica said that her mother not graduating high school made her want to go to college and succeed to make her mom proud. Her mother never told her she had to go to college, but Hawkins said she knew that her mother wanted her to continue her education after high school. Being a first generation college student was trying at times because no one in the family had experience with college, so it took a lot more self-motivation and determination on her part.
At one point in her college career Erica was working 2 jobs, taking 22 units, and running track. Even with that busy schedule and having to motivate herself she maintained a 3.0 her entire college career and will get to wear an honors chord on graduation day. Along with her mother, Erica is excited to have Dr.Hall and Dr. Campagna-Pinto watch her walk across the stage. These professors helped Erica along and influenced her greatly throughout her career at California State University of Bakersfield.
Dr. Campagna-Pinto made her love religious studies so much that it convinced her to take on a double major. She also is happy to make her grandfather proud even though he lives in Texas and will not see her graduate.
After graduation, Erica plans to move to Texas and have a career as a social worker. She wants to be a social worker because she has three siblings that were adopted and she saw how much their social workers helped them through life. Hawkins said she wants to be motivation for children and be a shoulder they can lean on when they need it. She plans to continue her education at the University of Houston Texas and obtain her masters in social work.
Hawkins is determined to succeed in all she does and graduating college was just the first step in her continuing academic journey.
Graduation day, Erica will be all smiles and she said her mother will probably cry because she is so proud to watch her youngest walk across the stage.
