Erin Hawkins has joined the staff at the Sequim Gazette as a general assignment reporter.

Hawkins was born and raised in Orange County, Calif.

She received her B.A. in Human Communication with an emphasis in Journalism and Media Studies at California State University–Monterey Bay in 2014.

During her college career, she worked as a staff reporter and later editor-in-chief for the student university newspaper.

Hawkins has experience freelancing for Southern California community newspapers including The San Clemente Times, and has copywriting experience in retail.

In her free time, she enjoys drawing and painting. She is excited about exploring the Olympic Peninsula and finding the best places to go snowboarding.