Learning Self-Worth at Trinity

Jacquelyn (Lyn) Holt Hawkins '72, B.A. Journalism

While claiming she's led a "not terribly exciting life," Lyn Hawkins '72 has nevertheless managed to spend a memorable summer in Africa, held an interesting variety of jobs, lived in a number of Texas cities, and made history in a small West Texas town.

An Army brat who came to San Antonio after her father retired, Lyn, whom some may remember as Jackie, attended Oliver Wendell Holmes High School where she worked on the school newspaper. While there, she attended several journalism seminars at Trinity. Impressed by the small class sizes and the opportunity to become better acquainted with students and faculty, she chose it for her undergraduate education.

During her first year on campus, four seniors returned from Operation Crossroads Africa, a Peace Corps progenitor founded in 1958 that sponsors cross-cultural exchanges and small-scale service projects in Africa. (The program has since expanded to include 12 Caribbean countries and Brazil.) Hearing their descriptions of the experience, Lyn knew she wanted to participate.

After learning that participants were responsible for raising the funds to attend— "around $2,000 per student, if memory serves me correctly"—Lyn and other interested classmates held various fundraisers, such as selling Rice Krispies treats in the dorms. One that Lyn thought was "pretty ingenious" was a taxi service to the airport for students going home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. "Being a freshman, I didn't have a car on campus, so I manned the phone, scheduling delivery times," Lyn says.

Fundraising was successful and Lyn, a member of Delta Tau Omega sorority, became a "Crossroader" during the summer of 1970, the only Trinity student or Texan to participate that summer. Assigned to Kenya, she helped construct a health center and a school. "I saw so much, experienced so much," she says. "The Kenyans were wonderful and the experience one I shall cherish for a lifetime."

Back on campus, where Lyn's stellar high school GPA had exempted her from many required courses, she was able to take a greater number of courses in her major, focusing on communication, as well as many elective courses—sculpting, play writing, anthropology, among them—which she enjoyed immensely. She also has vivid and fond memories of faculty and staff. She calls professor David Burkett (journalism) "a taskmaster but he made me hone my reporting skills;" Coleen Grissom (English) "a wonder;" and Trinity Chaplin Raymond Judd "one of my most memorable and special faculty members." Other influential campus figures include professors Herff-Beze (music), Paul Baker (drama), Robert Flynn, (English), and president James Laurie. "Above all," she says, "Trinity taught me self-worth."

A cum laude graduate, Lyn went to work on a weekly newspaper in Jasper, Texas. Subsequent positions included news director at the local radio station, Chamber of Commerce manager, public relations director, and administrative assistant to the administrator of a local hospital. She made history as Jasper's first woman Chamber of Commerce president.

Later, while living in Austin, she worked with the Texas Senate Media Services. "This was particularly interesting because I served as photographer, press release writer, and radio news script writer for various senators who sent weekly radio releases home to their local stations," Lyn says. A move to Houston found her handling employee communications for American General Life Insurance Company

Today Lyn and her husband Don live in McKinney, Texas, where for the past 13 years, she has been employed by Market Street, an upscale grocery. Although she has no exact title, her primary department is point of sales, "which means I help with all the signage and price changes."

"Not terribly exciting on paper," she admits, "but there are constant changes in the grocery business, including weekly ads, monthly manager's specials, and just day-to-day identification of products." She also fills in as a cashier when needed.

Outside of work, Lyn and Don enjoy listening to music, bicycling, and when time permits, traveling the country in their 38-foot RV. Memorable trips so far have included the Grand Canyon; Hershey, Pa.; Branson, Mo.; and Big Bend National Park.