DC student racking up awards for documentary

WASHINGTON — A D.C. student is racking up awards for a documentary she produced at school and now has her sights set on a career in the film industry.

Morgan Hawkins is a senior at the D.C. International School, where she takes a class on news and documentary production.

Last school year, she had the opportunity to work with PBS News Student Reporting Labs to produce a documentary about a changemaker in the D.C. community.

“The man that it was highlighting … he got released early from jail for his rehabilitative efforts. But he was serving 55 years to life [for murder and burglary]," Hawkins said. "He participated in the Georgetown Prison Scholars Initiative which helped him ... become a better person while in jail.”

The man she is describing is Michael Woody, who also helped to found the Young Men Emerging program at the D.C. jail.

In September, Hawkins and her producing partner Ajani Obaseki won Best Non-fiction/Documentary Short at the Anacostia Youth Media Festival.

This month, she heads to New York City for the All American High School Film Festival. Her documentary will be screened at the AMC in Times Square, and she's up for an award there as well.

“I feel accomplished, because something that I didn't love is turning into a passion of mine," Hawkins said.

At first, she said she wanted nothing to do with media production.

“I remember on the first day of her 10th grade school year, she came in and said, 'I don't want to be here,'" her teacher Ashley Porter said. "And I said, 'Well, I understand that. Let's just try it out together, see how it works, and if you don't like it, then maybe we talk about switching.'"

“But then as it got on and it got more hands on, I loved it and it never stopped since," Hawkins said.

Porter uses her own experience as a former TV reporter to inspire students like Hawkins to learn new skills and dream big.

"I have learned everything [from Ms. Porter]," Hawkins said. "I've learned how to shoot the interview. I've learned how to edit. I have learned how to work together on a short time frame. I have learned a lot. Ms. Porter is the best."

Hawkins even helped to launch the student news channel called Dragon TV — and helps to executive producer newscasts.

“It was incredible to see that that level of student initiative and motivation could just propel her to this level of success, and will hopefully continue to propel her," Porter said.

Hawkins said sharing Michael Woody's story has propelled her to want to find and tell more untold stories.

“It opened me to a lot of things," she said.

Now, she wants to pursue documentary filmmaking as a career and is excited for her future.