A Camden graduate finished high school using her cell phone for remote learning. Now, she’s a college grad on her way to becoming a counselor.

For her entire senior year, Jordan Hawkins stayed home in Camden, attending virtual school during the pandemic.

A lot has happened since then: she graduated from the University of Arizona and changed her career plans. She carries lessons learned during the pandemic that sustained her during tough times.

“I feel like the past four years went so fast,” Hawkins said. “It doesn’t feel real yet.”

The 2020-21 school year was a year like no other, as the pandemic disrupted disrupted learning everywhere. It hit especially hard in Camden, where students were already struggling.

Hawkins was one of more than 1,400 high school students who spent the year in remote learning in Camden, one of the last South Jersey districts to fully reopen its schools.

While kindergarten through eighth graders returned to school for in-person classes in April 2021, high schools remained closed until the following September.

An honors student at Charles Brimm Medical Arts High School, Hawkins didn’t receive a district laptop so she mostly used her cellphone to log into class via Zoom. She struggled to get on-camera so her teachers would see her and mark her present.

Across New Jersey that year, the digital divide impacted at least 230,000 public school students who were without devices or internet access. Many struggling families could not afford devices or online service fees, and libraries and traditional public access spots were not fully reopened.

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Looking back, Hawkins said the “Covid year” seems like a blur. She missed going to school. She missed seeing her friends. There was no senior class trip.

“It was such a weird time,” she recalled. “My main goal was going to school. I knew I was going away to college.”

Hawkins was not alone, said Karen Borrelli, a health and physical educator teacher at Brimm. Teachers tried to find ways to keep students engaged, despite transactions at home, she said.

“I just feel that they were cheated,” Borrelli said.

Hawkins, then 17, faced personal challenges, too. Her family was temporarily homeless after a fire severely damaged their home; they stayed at a motel or with relatives. She worked a part-time job.

A few bright spots kept her motivated. Like a surprise gift from an Inquirer reader who gave her a state-of-the-art laptop after reading her story. Besides classwork, she used it complete college applications.

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Hawkins was crowned prom queen when the class met in-person for the first time at the end of the school year. She maintained a straight A average.

After graduating from Brimm, Hawkins enrolled in the University of Arizona and planned to major in biology and pursue her dream of becoming an orthopedic surgeon. Those plans eventually changed.

Hawkins said she didn’t feel fully prepared for college, but quickly adjusted. She found a circle of friends, thrived in the desert heat, and discovered hiking.

“Honestly, I don’t regret picking that school. It was a really fun and eventful four years,” she said.

However, she quickly discovered a career in medicine wasn’t a good fit. She changed her major to Economics, which lasted only for a semester.

“That’s when I was on a hunt to figure out what I wanted to do,” she said.

She eventually decided to major in psychological science after an internship in Tucson working with at-risk youth. Despite changing majors, she graduated on schedule with honors. A contingent of family members attended the commencement.

“I am so proud,” said her mother, Sherie Person. “It is nothing but God, a total blessing.”

Next up, Hawkins plans to obtain a master’s degree in counseling at Arizona State this fall — and possibly a doctorate.

» READ MORE: Virtual learning in New Jersey this time around? Both easier and more difficult for staff and students

Hawkins returned to Camden recently to see her brother, Michael, graduate from Brimm. She also celebrated her 22nd birthday.

“She persevered,” said Borrelli. “The one thing about Camden students is that they’re very resilient and they’re very determined.”