Annika Hawkins

Hawkins

"As an advanced practice nurse, I will work first-hand with the public health issues that will define the 21st century . . . including those of indigent people, both locally and internationally."

  • Alumni of: 2003 Graduate Scholarship Program
  • Resides: Burlington, VT
  • Hometown: South Stratford, VT
  • Age: 33

Biography

When Annika Hawkins talks about an appreciation for shared human values and a respect for the complexity of meeting human needs, she knows of what she speaks. She had two adopted siblings, both orphans of the Vietnam War. By 8th grade, she had chosen Jesse Jackson's words to describe the way she sees America: "America is not like a blanket. America is more like a quilt - many patches, many pieces, many colors, many sizes, all woven and held together by a common thread . . . ."

Annika decided to pursue nursing as a career after several years of thought and exploration. Through jobs, volunteering, and travel, she expanded her vision to include public health. Her volunteer activities have included working at the Connecticut Children's Medical Center, tutoring high-risk minority youths, and teaching health and fitness to pregnant women and new mothers at a residential substance abuse treatment center.

Following her junior year in Spain, Annika set up an internship practicing medical interpretation at a medical center. Her senior year, she designed and carried out an independent study project in a children's medical center, working with Hispanic families. After the first semester, she stayed as a volunteer, now able to act as a patient advocate and cultural interpreter. After leaving Wesleyan, she became a clinic assistant at Planned Parenthood. Working with underserved women from around the world, Annika learned that "they were seeking what all women seek: the means to plan for themselves and their families."

At Johns Hopkins, Annika was invited to go to Peru to conduct research. Within weeks, she was heading a project in a rural village in the Amazon jungle, sampling 250 children per day, and supervising several health promoters, a biologist, and a pediatrician. She described the experience as "incredible . . . rewarding, difficult, and hot."

During her pediatric rotation at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Annika sought to communicate with patients and be an advocate for their health care needs. As a Community Outreach Intern, Annika works with a nurse at the city's Maternal and Infant Nursing Program, making home visits to high-risk pregnant women and new mothers. She also serves as a Birth Companion, working with clients individually before and during childbirth.

Following graduation, Annika plans to stay in the Baltimore area to gain clinical experience as a family nurse practitioner in a community health clinic with underserved and impoverished populations, before moving on to larger-scale international issues.

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