Biographical Information

 

 

        Shawn Hawkins was a 3-sport (football, basketball, and track) student athlete at Hampton High School, located in Hampton, VA. He also coached 8th grade boys’ basketball for Andrews middle school in Hampton, VA.

 

        Shawn Hawkins retired from the Federal Government in 2011 after 32 years as a Senior Executive Level Program Manager (PM) where he managed large Department of Defense (DoD) programs with a focus on cost, schedule, technical performance, and risk. He also mentored over 50-100 people during his government service on how to write a good promotion package to get promoted to the next pay grade level.

       

        Shawn Hawkins has a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from Prairie View A&M University in 1983. He also received two master’s degrees, one in Management from University of Maryland in 1999, and another in National Resource Strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF), Ft. McNair senior service school in 2000.

 

        Shawn Hawkins has been a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity since Fall 80’.

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        In 2012, Shawn Hawkins wrote a book called “Why Are We Losing Our Black Male Student Athletes?” His reason for writing about the black male student athlete is because he has the highest high school drop-out rate. Most black males drop out of high school by the tenth grade. In the past, many black male student athletes were getting into college to play sports but reading and writing at a 5th grade education level (CNN analysis: Some college athletes play like adults, read like 5th graders, January 8, 2014). Our black male student athletes are not prepared academically at an early age to complete high school and college eligibility  requirements, receive Scholarships, attend college, and earn degrees. This book outlines why starting children out in academics at an early age is just as important as starting them out early in sports. This book provides a how-to approach to academics. The black male student athlete picks a sport, or two or three, at an early age; however, he must also receive help with his academics at the same early age. It is just that simple. Or is it? While sports are staying the same, academics are becoming increasingly more difficult, making it harder today for the black male student athlete to graduate from high school with a diploma, let alone get into and out of college with a degree. So... What can be done about this? The answers are in this book.

 

        WAST brings youth coaching experience, strong academics, leadership, mentoring, high character, passion, and an intense work ethic when helping our client student athletes reach their goals and full potential in all sports.

       

        WAST will strive to work with the holistic development of youths, particularly student athletes, and provide academic and athletic scholarships to deserving students, funded primarily through grants, donations, and sponsorships.  WAST believes that sports build character, increase confidence and motivate kids to stay in school and aim for higher education. As it relates to our organizational structure, WAST is governed by an administrative board of directors representing diverse community stakeholders and consumers.