WESTPHALIA — What began as a second career became a calling for Fatima R-3 art teacher Sharryn Hawkes, who just completed her 17th year in education, and was recently named the 2026 Missouri Art Education Association K-12 Art Educator of the Year. The honor recognizes excellence in teaching, leadership, and commitment to students.

“I absolutely do love what I do,” Hawkes said.

A graduate of the University of Missouri with a degree in interior design, Hawkes spent a decade in that field before stepping away to raise her children. After volunteering for four years at a Christian school, she discovered something unexpected.

“That’s when I discovered that I really enjoyed teaching,” said Hawkes, who earned her art education certification from Lincoln University in 2008 and has spent the past 17 years helping students discover creativity and confidence.

Although she grew up in Glasgow, Hawkes’ family roots run deep in Osage County. Her grandfather purchased the family farm near Frankenstein in the 1940s, and what was intended to be a temporary move back to the area more than 20 years ago became permanent.

“My husband didn’t ever want to leave Howard County,” she said with a laugh.

Hawkes taught K-12 art for five years at Vienna before joining Fatima, where she now teaches students in K-7.

Art, she said, has always been part of her life. “My first degree was in interior design,” Hawkes said. “I definitely think that’s the artistic, creative side, too.”

Surprisingly, she nearly became a math teacher.

Unable to decide between art and mathematics, Hawkes received advice from retired Fatima K-12 art teacher Sonia Walker that helped shape her future.

“She told me that if I got dual-certified, I’d never see an art room,” she said. “So I ended up just getting certified in art, and I tutor math, which I absolutely still love.”

She sees strong connections between the two subjects.

“It’s amazing how much art and math are intertwined,” Hawkes said. “Facial arrangements, measuring, one-point perspective — they really go together.”

Hawkes credited retired Walker as both a mentor and partner in helping students progress from elementary through high school.

“I did my student teaching with her,” Hawkes said. “We definitely worked well together.”

State standards provide vertical alignment between grade levels, allowing students to build skills as they advance through the program.

Over the years, Hawkes has presented workshops through the Missouri Art Education Association, volunteered at state conferences, mentored future teachers, and remained active in community events, including face painting during Christmas on Main Street and a mission trip to Montana, where she worked with indigenous and homeless populations.

Those experiences, she said, helped demonstrate that education extends beyond classroom walls.

“They look for things out beyond the wall,” Hawkes said.

Inside the classroom, Hawkes enjoys projects that allow students to express their individuality rather than simply producing identical work.

“I enjoy the ones that aren’t cookie-cutter,” she said. “I like for it to represent the student more.”

Student artwork has been displayed at the Missouri Capitol, and during Fatima’s winter and spring concerts, giving students opportunities to share their creativity with others.

Yet when asked what stands out most after 17 years in education, Hawkes did not mention awards, conferences, or art shows.

Instead, she remembered a struggling student.

“Years ago, one young man consistently sat in the back of her classroom, angry and hurting,” Hawkes recalled. “His drawings often featured weapons and themes that reflected the pain he was carrying.”

Rather than focusing on the subject matter, Hawkes focused on the effort and detail she saw in his work.

She encouraged him and reminded him of the talents she recognized.

The conversations continued year after year.

Eventually, the student graduated and entered law enforcement. Before leaving school, he told Hawkes something she has never forgotten. “He said, ‘Art saved my life,’” she said with emotion.

The student had endured difficult family circumstances and later told Hawkes there had been a time when his life could have gone in very different directions.

“He said he liked that everybody was equal in art,” Hawkes said. “It was a safe place.”

That moment changed her understanding of what teaching really means.

“This is what’s important,” Hawkes said. “This isn’t about art. This is about something much bigger than art.”

Today, notes from former students and young artists who tell her they want to become teachers continue to remind her why she chose the profession.

For Hawkes, the greatest masterpiece has never been hanging on a wall — it has always been found in the lives of the students who study in her classroom.