Schools
Whiz Kid: Meet Phillip Hawkins
Firwood senior turns around his life — and his grades — with a recommitted decision to education.
Whiz Kid's name: Phillip Hawkins
Whiz Kid's age: 18
Whiz Kid's school: Firwood Secondary School
Whiz Kid's accomplishment: Phillip began high school with a grade-point average of 3.75, but by his junior year, it had fallen to a .5, just half a point from getting straight F’s. With his grades went all hopes of graduating, said Scott Lundberg, a counselor at Firwood. But rather than dropping out, as many of his teachers predicted, Hawkins made the life-changing decision to recommit himself to school and to a future with greater options.
Whiz Kid's key to awesomeness: Hawkins' determination to rewrite the story of his life is paying off, Lundberg said. He is on track to graduate this spring and plans to enroll at Pierce Community College. After earning an associate’s degree, he plans to attend a four-year university.