School district honors campus officer

By Phil Cobb | March 1, 2016 |

Darren Whitley
Kevin C. Hawkins Jr.

MARYVILLE, Mo. — Kevin C. Hawkins Jr., a police officer with the Northwest Missouri State University Police Department, was honored Feb. 23 by Parkway Schools in Chesterfield with the district’s Spirit of Excellence Award.

The annual recognition honors high-achieving Parkway students and outstanding African American alumni.

Hawkins is a 2007 graduate of Parkway Central High School, where he was involved in numerous student organizations and activities.

He joined the University Police Department in 2010 and received a bachelor’s degree in business management from Northwest in 2013 before going on to earn a master’s degree in higher education there last year.

Hawkins currently serves as chair of the Law Enforcement Subcommittee for the Missouri Department of Transportation and is a criminal justice instructor at Vatterott College.

He is also a mentor with President Barack Obama’s My Brothers Keeper initiative and is active as a volunteer with Special Olympics, Santa Cop, and the Noyes Home for Children in St. Joseph.