Step into Dr. Hawks’s office at Manual High School and you instantly know this is a woman who runs a school with pride and warmth. She’s on her walkie-talkie, checking the climate in the lunchroom. But your eyes wander, because the windowsill is lined with hourglasses, each one catching the sunlight.
“My aunt redecorated my living room and put one on a shelf. I bought two for my office… and now people just keep adding to the collection,” she says with a grin. Shelves are covered with coffee mugs, gifts from travelers, and tokens from students. “I literally light up when people bring me things, especially if they’re personalized or have a back story.”
As a middle schooler, Dr. Hawks admired her principal, Principal Turner, a Black woman who led with calm authority. “Seeing a Black woman leading a school showed me what was possible before I even knew to dream it,” she reflects. Turner gave her small leadership opportunities, like reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, planting a seed that was rooted in equity, opportunity, and transformation.
For Dr. Hawks, leadership is about purpose, not titles. At Manual, she and her staff aren’t just opening doors, they’re dismantling walls that block students. “Some barriers we can’t remove immediately, so we teach students to navigate them. And sometimes the system is us, the adults.” Under her guidance, the school has shifted from survival to transformation, with students graduating, working, and returning with degrees.
She emphasizes the importance of connection. “Some kids are missing basic needs; others, emotional ones. We can’t fix everything, but we can create systems that meet as many as possible.” That means counselors, mentors, and staff who refuse to give up. “If a parent doesn’t know what to do with their child, I’ll go to the house myself and bring them in. Whatever it takes.”
Dr. Hawks notes that today’s challenges:social media, vaping, mental health pressure, are amplified but not new. Her approach: stay connected, curious, and close. Peoria Public Schools’ expanded support systems provide pathways for every learner, and those with greater needs get greater support.
Manual is like a family. “Kids see the belief we have in them, and adults give each other the same grace we give students. People stay because they believe in these kids.” Data matters, she says, but it doesn’t capture everything. “If people want to know the truth, come walk the halls. You’ll feel it.”
Her vision is ambitious yet personal: higher proficiency, confident and prepared students, and lasting belief in themselves. She praises the surrounding community and the PTO’s tireless involvement. Manual’s rise from “comprehensive” to “commendable” shows the impact of consistent love and effort.
Dr. Hawks leads with wisdom and warmth, blending data with humanity. She’s rewriting Manual’s story, proving what happens when belief, purpose, and community collide. “We’re not just changing outcomes,” she says. “We’re changing what kids believe is possible.”