By MEGAN GARNETT, Student Reporter
Northwestern Oklahoma State University’s education department gained a new teacher this semester.
DaLana Hawkins of Ponca City joined NWOSU as an instructor of education.
“I teach students who have decided to become teachers and administrators,” Hawkins said.
Before coming to NWOSU, Hawkins worked as a middle school and high school administrator for five years and taught secondary social studies for eight years in Ponca City, where she and her family currently live.
Her husband of 20 years, Jason Hawkins, is a sales manager at a car dealership in Ponca City where her son Daylan Hawkins also attends high school as a junior. Her daughter Jaden Hawkins attends Northwestern as a sophomore.
Hawkins’ hobbies include: running outside when the weather is nice; attending yoga classes taught at the JR Holder Wellness Center on Northwestern’s campus; reading Dan Brown and Harry Potter; “Star Trek” and “Star Wars” and listening to music.
“I like all music,” she said. “I like everything from Frank Sinatra to Pearl Jam and Linkin Park.”
Hawkins said coming to Northwestern was a “no brainer” for her because of its respected reputation for education.
“It seemed like the next step in my career,” she said. “I was driven to impact a larger realm. All of my students are going to be teachers or principals throughout the state, or even in other states.”
Nicole Marema and Kaitlyn Estes are education majors at NWOSU and students of Hawkins. Marema and Estes said they had found Hawkins’ classes to be both fun and helpful.
Estes said, “My opinion of Mrs. Hawkins is that she is wonderful.” She enthused, “On the first day of class, she automatically made us all feel welcome. She also makes my Classroom Management and Behavior class fun to be in.”
Marema agreed that her experience with Hawkins has also been positive.
She said, “As a future educator it is great to have a teacher with so much experience as an educator supporting me in my own aspirations.”
Hawkins said her motivation for teaching was her belief and philosophy that, “education offers opportunity and opens doors that may have otherwise been closed.” She continued: “Whether that’s as a parent encouraging my children to go forward with their education; as a teacher of future teachers or principals; or even as a student myself, furthering my own education in a doctorate program, and the quality of opportunity that will afford me.”
Hawkins said she credited her own love and appreciation of education to her grandparents.
“I had amazingly hard working grandparents who taught me a strong work ethic and the importance of an education.” She continued to say she had also been influenced in her career by numerous Northwestern alumni.
Hawkins also emphasized that she was happy to be part of the education division at Northwestern.
“I’m very impressed with the community involvement and support,” she continued about her experience in Alva so far: “The community understanding that they play a huge roll in students lives, the school and education is a +reflection on the community and it’s a really positive environment here. I’m very fortunate, as are the students and community here.”
Megan Garnett – (580)-430-9161 – megarnett85@rangers.nwosu.edu
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Contact:
Nicole Marema – Education – Senior – Early Childhood Education
• nrmarema83@rangers.nwosu.edu
• (620) 755-5694
Kaitlyn Estes – Education – Senior – Classroom Management / Behavior Intervention
• keestes86@rangers.nwosu.edu
• (918) 332-6101
DaLana Hawkins – Instructor of Education
• dmhawkins@nwosu.edu
• (580) 327-8459