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Miami Palmetto High School senior Jake Hawkins volunteers at Friendship Circle every Sunday and during school breaks. He recently spent time with the special needs children who attended Friendship Circle’s Spring Break program.
“We go over and be with the kids and we go on mini field trips,” he says.
Hawkins is a member of the Friendship Circle’s President’s Council. The members meet once a month with the officials that run the organization.
“We give them ideas on what’s most effective, and what the kids want,” he says. “We give the organization a voice from kids who actually volunteer.”
He likes to be able to give input.
“They’ll usually come to us with what they think is best,” he says. “Everybody usually has a collective opinion. Like ‘Oh no, we did that last year, and it didn’t work. We should do this instead.’ Everyone is very committed.”
Hawkins is the head of the fundraising committee on the President’s Council.
He participates in the Friend’s at Home program.
“We go to a kid named Matthew’s house,” he says. “We go on his golf cart out in his community and play basketball. He just loves being with us. It’s been two years now. We started in March of 2023 with him.”
It’s been long enough to get attached so that going off to college is a tad bittersweet.
“It’ll be hard for us but definitely more so for him,” Hawkins says. “His mom is always saying he’s looking forward to seeing you over the weekend. It will take him out of the weekly routine.”
He and his friend go every Sunday unless they are out of town or have a conflict, but Hawkins says that’s rare.
“People don’t realize how big of a difference, the effect they have being around kids their own age,” he says. “For most of the kids, they can’t wait to see this person. Most of the people who do it, understand it. This is literally their lives. They love it. It’s unreal.”
The volunteers talk about the bonds they make at the end of the year ceremony.
“I remember when I first went and met with Matthew,” he says. “At first, it’s awkward. Now it’s like, everything is fluid, smooth. It’s how a normal friendship is. You form a bond with your friend, nothing feels abnormal. Especially since we do it on Sundays from 5-6 p.m., It’s a nice way to end the week.”
This past summer, Hawkins was a counselor at a sleep away camp in Maine. He worked with kids going into sixth grade, doing a bit of everything from sports to arts and crafts and field trips.
And he’s been a counselor in training at the Riveria Day Camp for four weeks the summer going into his sophomore year. He worked with kids aged nine to 14.
At school, Hawkins has been on the varsity lacrosse team for four years. The team made it to the District Quarterfinals this year.
He’s the contents editor of the Panther, the school newspaper, managing the blog section.
“We have more fun stories and sports commentary,” he says. “There’s a fashion blog and pop culture as well as fun pop culture opinionated stories. We have a features section.”
He’s in the Italian Honor Society and the National Honor Society.
Outside of school, Hawkins interned at his uncle’s law firm, helping file and doing other clerical work.
Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld
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