The past year has been a transformative time for Mrs. Lakiesha Hawkins. Link Hawkins, a recent graduate of NASA’s Mid-Level Leader Program, spent 8 months at NASA Headquarters in Washington DC, developing an in-space propulsion strategy for the Agency’s mission to the Moon and on to Mars.  Upon her return to Huntsville, she was awarded the Outstanding Leadership Medal, NASA’s second highest honor, and was promoted to serve as Chief of Avionics Systems Integration. In April, 2018, Mrs. Hawkins will be recognized as the Florida A&M University-Florida State University Mechanical Engineering Alumni of the Year.