Born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee, a city as lively as herself, Kimberly Hawkins (Marketing ’15) chose an exciting path when she moved to Florida and began attending Pensacola Christian College. There, God prepared her for multiple positions, introduced her to her husband, and led her to trust Him fully. She now manages staff members and hosts women’s events for a living, as well as tours the country singing with her church—and it all started with an obedient heart.
The Beginning of a Calling
Kimberly’s desire to attend PCC began in middle school when a PCC ministry team presented at her school. “At that time, [the tagline] was ‘Catch the Spirit,’ and I really caught the Spirit,” she explained. “I knew God wanted me to go there, and I wasn’t going to detour. I kept this desire starting in sixth grade all the way up to my senior year of high school.”
When Kimberly became a PCC student, she studied marketing and got involved in extracurricular activities that gave her a foundation for her career and ministry. “Singing with the Spirit Singers [now Voices of PCC] was my absolute favorite thing,” she explained. “I found my best friend in the Spirit Singers. We ended up staying [at PCC] on staff and singing in [Campus Church]. I was also involved in [Christian Service at] the Women’s Juvenile Detention Center. I was able to lead it for five years, including the years I worked on staff. Those years alone helped with learning discipleship and counseling.”
The business classes Kimberly took, such as Marketing, Professional Selling, and Advertising, have been very applicable in her current and past jobs. Her courses helped her understand target marketing and demographics, sales negotiations, and strategic wording for selling and purchasing. Another class that specifically helped her was Interpersonal Relationships with Dr. Steven Sleeth. “There was so much practical information in that class that I still use for counseling,” she said. “But not just for counseling: I use it for daily relationships, even in my own marriage.”
The Shaping of Desires
After graduation, Kimberly stayed at PCC to work as an enrollment advisor, a position now known as an admissions counselor, for three years. “Working on staff was the biggest plus,” she shared. “Being an enrollment advisor at PCC helped me [manage] my time and [allowed me to assist] so many incoming students. I was even able to carry over some onboarding strategies that I learned from PCC to my [current] job.”
Kimberly then decided to pursue a career in realty, something she had always desired. She started a business as a real estate investor while teaching second grade in Orlando, Florida. She and her husband, David Hawkins (Pre-Law ’15), later moved to New York City in 2019 and began attending a church in downtown Brooklyn. This became pivotal in Kimberly’s life and career.
Another New Beginning
The Hawkinses made one more move to New Jersey, and Kimberly’s career diverged again as she began working at her church as the executive assistant to the chief of staff, managing their 78 full-time staff members, and the assistant for the women’s ministry. In her position, she handles employee onboarding, staff meetings and fellowships, church construction projects, and marketing the senior pastor’s video content internationally. For the women’s ministry, she plans and hosts all of the events. “This year, I hosted my first painting class, where I taught 110 ladies,” said Kimberly. “We called it our ‘Coffee & Canvas’ event.”
Kimberly also serves in the church by singing in the choir and touring the country, performing in concerts, creating albums, and sharing the gospel. Her time singing at PCC gave her the confidence to do what she does today. “Singing in the Spirit Singers and having the opportunity to sing in church helped prepare me to sing [music specials], especially with stage fright,” she said.
While PCC gave Kimberly a strong academic and extracurricular foundation, it also provided rich ground for an even deeper walk with God. “I view [PCC] as the place that helped me find my own walk and relationship with God,” she shared. “I was no longer doing it because someone was telling me to. This makes me forever grateful for PCC. I learned to really listen when the Lord was guiding me and directing me.”
Kimberly Hawkins’s life has been full of thrilling and unanticipated events—such as moving to new places or positions and exploring her creative side through painting, teaching, and singing. As Kimberly’s record shows, she will faithfully follow wherever God leads.
Read more about how God is directing and working through PCC faculty and alumni.