Dr. Hawks was born and raised in Council Bluffs, Iowa. She knew from a young age that she wanted to grow up to be a doctor like her dad, an oncologist and hematologist in Council Bluffs. Dr. Hawks attended college at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, where she earned her bachelor of science in nursing. While working on her BSN, she also found time to earn her private pilot certificate and she met and married her husband Patrick. She then continued her medical education at American University of the Caribbean in Sint Maarten. Living in the Caribbean gave her many opportunities to enjoy two of her favorite activities, travel and hiking.

Dr. Hawks also enjoys camping, cooking, reading, playing the flute, and spending time with her husband and their two cats.