My name is Joel Hawkins.  I am a product of the North Thurston Public Schools.  I went to Lakes, Woodland, Nisqually, Timberline, and graduated from North Thurston HS in 1993.  My parents were both in the education system with my mother being a teacher and my father as a high school principal.  After high school I studied at WSU for one year and transferred to WWU for my final three years graduating in 1997 with a BA in Exercise Science.  I wanted to work in the medical field until I saw some gross stuff such as blood and really bad infections.  Next, I enrolled at Saint Martins and obtained my teaching certification.  I have been teaching health or PE for over 17 years.  I started teaching at South Sound HS for three years and have been teaching PE here at NMS for the rest of my career.  I really enjoy teaching and I love working with kids.  I also have been coaching HS football, wrestling, and track for over 15 years.  Currently, I coach football at RRHS, I am the wrestling coach here at NMS, I help with the 6th grade intramural program, and share the athletic director duties.  I also have a Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Phoenix.