“I met with the Regional Director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) in Chicago and discovered that, coincidentally, as Union was looking into the possibility of opening a Club on campus, BGCA was looking to expand their rural presence,” Hawkins recalls.

[PHOTO: Union's Club kids participate in a volleyball clinic with Coach Jeremy Wise and Athletic Trainer Shea Hoffman.]

In Kentucky, there was only one Club east of I-75 – the Cawood Ledford Club in Harlan. Hawkins viewed it as “a model of success,” and wanted children and families in Knox County to have access to the same quality after-school and summer programming offered there.

She believed that opening a Union Club, not just located on campus but owned and operated by Union, could provide the resources and stable funding stream needed to keep it open. To meet requirements set by the BGCA, however, she needed another Club to serve as sponsor.

Hawkins reached out to the Harlan Club’s Board and pitched her idea to them. They agreed to sponsor the new Club, and this soon led to the creation of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Appalachia, which is now the umbrella organization both sites fall under. 

“Dr. Hawkins has served on the Board since we adopted the Union Club and has been an amazing champion and advocate for our organization and for its growth,” says CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Appalachia Kateena Haynes. “We now have five clubs in Harlan and Knox County, and we'll have four to five more by the end of 2024.” 

[PHOTO: In September, Hawkins was inducted into the Kentucky Alliance Hall of Fame for her pioneering work in establishing and promoting collegiate-based Boys & Girls Clubs.]

Each Club site provides a safe, positive environment for children in grades K-12 when school is out. After-school programming is free-of-charge to families and includes a range of enrichment and recreational activities as well as homework help and nutritious snacks and meals. The curriculum features six core areas: Sports & Recreation, Education, the Arts, Health & Wellness, Workforce Readiness, and Character & Leadership. Programs designed to develop healthy habits and prevent drug use are built into the Club experience, too.

“The Board of Trustees believes it’s important for Union to have strong connections with the community. I can’t think of a better way to connect with and support our neighbors,” Goss says. “The Club is also a great way to get our students engaged with the community.”

Since opening in 2017, Union’s Club has served hundreds of families and has documented a rise in literacy rates among the children served. Summer camps, field trips, guest speakers, and a chance for kids to acclimate to life on a college campus are also key components of the Club experience. These early exposures help children become more curious about the world around them, spark their passion for service and learning, and help them feel at home with the idea of pursuing higher education.

[PHOTO: Club kids reading together.]

“I believe the impact of our Union Boys and Girls Club on the health and learning of the region’s children and teens will continue to grow and that a greater percentage of them will see Union as a door to a great future,” Hawkins says.

Hawkins became the first woman to serve as President of Union in 2012. She had also been the first in her family to attend college, and during her tenure, she has prioritized making higher education more accessible and affordable for others than it was for her. In addition to the renaming of Union’s Club, the new Dr. Marcia Hawkins Leadership Award was announced at the spring Honors Convocation. When Hawkins retires at the end of June, the many programs she created during her 12 years of service will continue to benefit both campus and community for many years to come.