School: Oskaloosa High School; Grade-point average: 4.0; Class rank: 1; Parents: Steve and Kim Hawks, Ozawkie

Brandon Hawks is a straight-A student and a three-sport letter winner at Oskaloosa High School.

He says he’s born to be a coach, and he’s probably right.

Hawks has spent three years as a volunteer coach for his third-grade sister Jena’s softball team. Last summer, he worked on teaching them basic techniques and skills.

He admitted it was frustrating at times, but it also paid off, as the team ended the year with a championship.

“Just seeing them succeed, it brought me to tears almost,” he said.

Hawks says he’s been able to thrive at the Jefferson County high school, and he plans to enroll at Kansas University in the fall to study secondary education and mathematics.

His list of activities also runs longer than just football, baseball and basketball. Hawks was also a captain on the school’s knowledge bowl team, which qualified for state for two years.

His middle school history teacher, Ron Ellis, started him on that path.

“He really cares about his students. You can tell. And he pushes you,” Hawks said.

With his academic and extracurricular success, it takes a balancing act to try to fit in family time as well, but the ability to set his priorities should come in handy during college, Hawks said.

“It’s good time management. I’ve had a lot of nights this year where I’ve had to hit the books hard,” he said.

Honors, activities: Knowledge Bowl (9-12), captain (1 year), state qualifier (2 years); Principal’s Honor Award (9); Kansas Honor Scholar (12); Academic Achievement Award (9-12): forensics (10-11), state qualifier IDA (1 year); football (9-12), varsity co-captain (2 years), All-Delaware Valley League linebacker (12), All-DVL defensive back (10), All-DVL running back (12), lettered (4 years); basketball (9-12), lettered (2 years); baseball (9-11), lettered (3 years), All-DVL centerfielder (11); FBLA (9-12), chapter president (10-12), national qualifier (10); class president (4 years); NHS (11-12), vice president (12)

College: Kansas University

Career plans: High school math teacher, football and baseball coach

Major: Secondary education-math