Making Memories & Leaving Legacies: Eve Hawkins ’25

At Madeira, school spirit is often a family affair. Siblings happily tag along during Family Weekend as parents and guardians rock their merch from the school store, while grandparents and extended family members gleefully start collecting snail decor of all kinds. While a legacy connection initially brought Eve Hawkins to Madeira, four years later, she reflects on all the reasons she was thrilled to make the School her own.

Please introduce yourself!

Hello! My name is Eve Hawkins and I was a Day student in the Class of 2025. I spent all four years of high school at Madeira and my D-blocks were the fall play and the winter musical. In my time at Madeira, I became the founder and captain of the Madeira VEX robotics team, one of the co-heads of Madeira’s very own rock band Function in Disaster, and the secretary of the Madeira Math Club.

Let's start back at the beginning: Why Madeira? What made you want to spend your high school years here?

I initially chose Madeira because of the incredibly driven and vibrant community. My sister attended Madeira before me, and every day she would come home and tell me about all of the incredible friends she met, classes she took, and teachers who inspired her. After seeing how much she loved Madeira, I thought it might be a possibility for me as well. At first, I was a bit hesitant about attending a half boarding-half day school and being in a single-gender environment for the first time. However, after a few visits to campus and meeting some of my sister’s incredible friends, I was able to see how Madeira is a community of women who strive for excellence in everything they do and how incredibly collaborative and kind the students are. They all had plans for how they would change the world, and all spoke about their interests with so much passion. After that, I knew it was the place for me.

How has Madeira supported you as a student with many interests?

Madeira has allowed me to pursue my many passions, mainly in STEM and the arts, in a way I don’t think I could have done elsewhere. First off, the curriculum and Mod Schedule allowed me to take a wide range of classes that aligned with my passions. I was able to take courses in programming, robotics, engineering design, darkroom photography, and fashion alongside my required classes all while performing in two full-length theatre productions. Additionally, the community always supports your passions and wants to see you succeed. There is always someone who wants to help you engage with your interests and realize any visions you may have. For example, in my sophomore year, I asked the new computer science teacher, Mx. Khozein, if they would be willing to help me start a competitive robotics team. They willingly gave up their time after school, on weekends, and even over the summer to help me organize meetings, create budgets, and register for competitions to create what is now the Madeira Robotics Team. Madeira as an institution and community creates an environment where students can explore and excel in any subject they find interesting and are supported by friends and teachers every step of the way.

Could you reflect on your Co-Curriculum experience? Where did you spend your placements, and what did you do? How did those experiences impact your plans for the future?

I loved my Co-Curriculum experiences because they let me explore various ways I could use my love for science in the professional world, and I learned many valuable skills along the way. My first Co-Curriculum placement was at Garfield Elementary School, a Title I school where I worked with 3rd-6th graders as an assistant in the STEAM classroom. It was a great experience where I got to share my love for engineering and art with younger people. It helped me cultivate compassion and patience, and I loved getting to show the kids how fun applications of science can be!  

In my junior year, I interned in the United States Senate under Senator John Barrasso from Wyoming. During my time in the Senate, I was working on a policy proposal for my U.S. History class on ways to grow and regulate the commercial space sector of the U.S. economy. My Co-Curriculum placement showed me how science ties into policy, and I was able to research how the government deals with regulating new technology like commercial spaceflight vehicles and artificial intelligence by talking with congressional staffers, attending congressional hearings, and even meeting senators. I was even tasked with compiling quotations and articles from senators about the pros and cons of growing technologies that speechwriters and policy teams could use. In addition to learning about how the government and technology intersect, I learned how to communicate with supervisors, manage my time, and meet deadlines, which are essential skills for any professional workplace. I also got to experience how the government works first-hand and discovered how young people like me can truly have an impact on the future of our nation. My office was so kind and willing to give me as many tasks as I asked for, and I felt empowered when they trusted my work and my ability to handle the responsibilities they gave me.

This past year, I got to explore my interests in astrophysics while I interned at the United States Naval Observatory (USNO), working primarily on double and multiple star astronomy. At USNO, I essentially became an assistant to research scientists. I entered, analyzed, and modeled data that was added to update and expand the Washington Double Star catalog and the Sixth Catalog of Orbits of Visual Binary Stars. In addition to entering data, I also collected data on visual binary stars by operating USNO’s 26-inch Great Equatorial Refractor telescope to conduct nighttime observations. It was an experience unlike any I had ever had before. I learned about the stars in the most hands-on way possible with experts that are partially responsible for the country’s understanding of multiple star astronomy. There is nowhere else that I could have spent every day with two amazing astronomers discussing their areas of research and working on one of the world’s oldest operational research telescopes. 

Because of my Co-Curriculum, I hope to study astrophysics alongside engineering in college. I have also grown more curious about how emerging technologies shape policy, so after college I hope to work with lawmakers to find solutions for regulating technology from the perspective of someone who is still involved in the industry. 

What's a moment that stands out to you from each year here at Madeira?

Freshman year, I remember finding my favorite Madeira tradition during the annual Thanksgiving celebration and dinner. I remember first watching the seniors list everything that they were grateful for at the morning assembly in the most kind and thoughtful way and then experiencing the candle lighting ceremony for the first time later that evening. At dinner, I sat with my advisory, a group of people I ended up staying with and becoming close friends with over the next three years and eating a full Thanksgiving feast after school. My first year, I was a bit anxious about staying late on campus, but that night I had so much fun and finally started to feel at home. Thanksgiving quickly became my favorite Madeira tradition, and I looked forward to it every year.

Sophomore year, I performed in my first show at Madeira. I hadn’t been in a show since second grade, but my sister convinced me to try out. I was very lucky that the show that year happened to be my favorite musical of all time, Disney’s Newsies. It was my first and last show with my older sister, and we were cast as brothers Les and Davey. I had always loved my Madeira D-Blocks, but that first show and that first performance was when I really felt like I had found my place in the community. During Newsies, I met so many people that I now consider some of my best friends in the world and to this day I still talk about what an incredible experience and performance it was. It inspired me to try more performing, and I did every single show afterwards and even joined Madeira’s rock band Function in Disaster as a singer.

Junior year, I attended my first robotics competition since middle school with the Madeira team as the Robo Escargot. It was seriously some of the most fun I have ever had, and I was so proud of everyone for working so hard to get to that competition. We had an amazing time and did quite well for our first time. In addition to the awesome experience, we also walked out of that competition with our first team award, the Judges Award, for our hard work, collaboration, and team spirit. That was the day I truly felt like I had made a difference at Madeira, and I got to be with a group of people who cared just as much as I did about our new team. It was probably the proudest moment in my Madeira career.

My favorite moment during my senior year was during the Senior Sunset event our class presidents planned. It was just four days before Graduation, and the whole class gathered behind Main Dorm to watch the sunset and decorate graduation caps for Affirmation later that week. I sat with my closest friends, and we listened to music as we painted the caps and got to laugh about our favorite memories from over the years. We were there through sunset and to help clean up afterwards, but it was probably the most fun I had and the most relaxed I was during my senior year. I was there until almost midnight, just because I wanted to be, and being there so late and still feeling calm made me realize how much I really love Madeira and truly how at home I felt here. It was one of the best ways to close out my Madeira experience.

Could you describe your Madeira experience in three words?

It’s very difficult to sum it up in three but I will certainly try: Engaging, unique, awesome.

So, what's next for you?

In the fall, I plan to attend Santa Clara University’s School of Engineering on a Dean’s Merit Scholarship. I am majoring in Civil Engineering, and I also hope to minor in astrophysics or theatre. In college, I still hope to sing a lot and join the robotics club!

Anything else you'd like to share?

Madeira is one of my favorite places in the world, and it really became my second home over the last four years. Between the people I met, the friends I made, the places I went, it was truly a one-of-a-kind experience, and I would not be the person I am today without it.

_{#MadeAtMadeira #MadeiraGrade12 #MadeiraSTEAM #MadeiraTheatre #MadeiraDrama #MadeiraInspired #MadeiraArts #MadeiraVEX #MadeiraRobotics #MadeiraThanksgiving}