Christiona Hawkins graduated from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship with a Bachelor's Degree in Public Policy. During her undergraduate studies, Christiona founded MESH Literary Magazine, served on the founders council of Nu Rho Poetic Society, and was a faithful member of Verbal Blend Poetry Group. She also served as the VP of PACE for the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. During her sophomore, junior, and senior year of undergraduate studies,as an extension of MESH Literary Magazine, Ms. Hawkins and a “Street Team” of poets began teaching poetry workshops in local middle and high schools in the Syracuse City School District.
After graduation, she pursued her passion for education and working with young people by joining Teach For America teaching on the Southside of Chicago and serving as a high school English and Spanish teacher for an alternative school on the West Side of Detroit. She continued her studies at Oakland University School of Education and obtained her Master's of the Arts in Teaching Secondary Education.
In her free time Ms. Hawkins enjoys writing, reading, cooking, watching 90's TV shows on Netflix, serving the young people at her local church, and building relationships with families that she serves. Education is one of her core values and she truly loves what she does. She believes that educating Black children is an act of warfare and does not take her service lightly. She aims to build students' confidence in reading, writing, and speaking so that literacy will not be a barrier, but a gateway to achievement in college, career, and life.