Making A Difference: Mrs. Hawkins!

“You Make A Difference!”  At Columbia Elementary School, Wendy Hawkins makes a difference in the lives of her students each and every day!  She was chosen by her peers for the “You Make A Difference” award.  Mrs. Hawkins said, “As a first grade teacher, I get to have so much fun with my students! Even though we have a lot of challenging lessons to learn, we get to read great books, sing, laugh, and create all the time. I can't imagine a life without fulfillment that comes at the end of a day of teaching.”

Mrs. Hawkins continued by saying, “I love teaching because it allows me to give my students a gift they will use they use for the rest of their lives, the ability to read. Seeing a first grader come to school knowing a little bit about reading and how words work, and then blossoming into this child that reads book after book is amazing. The pure joy that is seen on a child's face when they get to read something on their own is priceless.”

Mrs. Hawkins spent more than a decade in the business world before she began teaching.  She began teaching she was 35 and she is so thankful that she made the change to work in education because she gets to do something she loves.  She commented that she “still gets excited to see my students and coworkers every day. Each day is a new adventure.”

Wendy is thankful to the Columbia community for being generous and supporting her classroom through grants for books, robots, building, and art materials.  She mentioned that, “Columbia School District truly has my heart. I was raised here, am a member of the community, my son is a Columbia grad. I feel such a strong bond to our local families and our district. We have so much to offer students and families, and I believe we are the best district around. So, I am very blessed.”

Not only does Mrs. Hawkins make a difference in her classroom, she is an integral part of the community.  She volunteers with the Columbia Schools Educational Foundation by working on their social media, helping with the annual golf outing and assisting with the scholarship process.  Thank you Mrs. Hawkins for making a difference every day!