Interview of Leyla Hawkins by Kevlin Haire

Interview conducted at The Ohio State University Archives, Columbus, Ohio.Leyla Hawkins, who grew up in Toledo, discusses her time at OSU as both an undergraduate and graduate student, particularly her involvement in the then-Ohio and Drake Union Activities board. When she started school in the autumn of 1981, she planned on majoring in journalism, but partly because of her experience working at the Drake and Ohio unions, she decided after two years to change her major to organizational communication. She describes her participation in the Ohio and Drake Union Activities board, including her role as Vice President during her last year as an undergrad. She discusses her first year out of school, then her return to OSU as a graduate student, and the experience and skills she gained working at the Ohio Union during her graduate studies. She then describes her work experience post-grad school, including at Northeastern, Vanderbilt and Ohio Dominican universities. She eventually transitioned to her current career in property management, and she discusses how her experience in student activities management has helped her in that field. Finally, she discusses her involvement in the alumni association, including her role as president of the Alumni Club of Franklin County