Editor's Note: This is the seventh in a series of profiles of winter 2023 graduates.
The poem “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou is a powerful work of faith, courage and determination. It is also the poem that has guided University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) graduate Maxine Hawkins throughout her adult life.
“During the difficulties in my life, I have recited that poem,” she said. “It encourages everyone that, no matter what, you’re going to get through it and do better.”
Hawkins culminated her journey to a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities by using “Still I Rise” as the topic for her capstone project.
From an early age, Hawkins had a curiosity about people and their differences, an interest that carried her to the health care field.
“I was the last of six in my family, and my oldest sister was born with a hearing impairment and learning disability,” she said. “I think that helped me understand empathy and appreciate our differences.”
A fervent interest in science and discovery led Hawkins to what was then called medic school after she finished high school.
“I knew I wanted to do something in health care, and medic school taught me how to work at a doctor's office, draw blood, give injections and everything related to the back office,” she said.
Soon after medic school, Hawkins started a job as an EKG technician. Then an opportunity arose for her to learn cardiac ultrasound at Maryland General Hospital. Through training and hard work, she attained her registry and advanced to supervisor, performing budget and scheduling duties along with the technical work.
But when the hospital merged with another health care facility to become University of Maryland Medical Center, it became clear that she needed a college degree to advance further. The roadblock was frustrating but, she told herself, “Still I Rise.”
“I tell this to my kids all the time,” she said. “When life hands you lemons don't just make lemonade, make lemon meringue pie, do something.”
Inspired by her aunts and uncles, all educators who demonstrated considerable resilience on their academic journeys, Hawkins embarked on her own journey at UMGC. While the logical degree choice might have been in health care, she chose humanities, an area she became passionate about later in life. But her journey was not without obstacles.
Having been out of school for a while, one of the biggest challenges for Hawkins at UMGC was playing catch up with the technology and terminology.
“Luckily my kids are more versed in using computers, so they could explain to me what a ‘thread’ was,” Hawkins said. “They would walk me through assignments and encourage me when I felt overwhelmed.”
With her bachelor’s degree in hand, Hawkins aims to do some type of advocacy work soon. “I feel like there is a calling for me to do something in social justice and humanitarianism,” she said.
Share This