“I thought you were a stupid kid…”

BYU- Hawaii Biochemistry student, Pehrson Hawkley, has a motivated soul and a drive for success that has inspired many of his friends and classmates. One day after his classmates found out that he got an excellent grade on a test, a female student congratulated him and said, “I thought you were a stupid kid who just went to the beach all day and surfed.” Pehrson laughed and said, “nope!”

John Hathaway, who worked with Pehrson as a pre-dental student says, “Pehrson is very dedicated to school and is always willing to help out someone in need, and also so willing to share his brain.”

Pehrson, was born in Arizona but moved around a lot because his father, Joel, was in the Air Force. Pehrson graduated high school in New Jersey and feels like his home is in New Jersey, where he learned a lot of life’s lessons. He is the oldest child in his family of four children, with one brother serving an LDS mission in Argentina and a brother and sister at home; Hawkley is a shining example to his younger brothers and sister of what it takes to get what you want.

This year, Hawkley has applied to 14 different dental schools and, this semester alone, will be traveling to such places as Florida, Arizona, California, Ohio, and Kentucky to interview with school officials for a possible acceptance to each school’s program. Between each interview, Hawkley stays busy with schoolwork, a job on campus, and planning his own wedding with his fiancé, Kate LeSueur, a recent BYU-Idaho graduate. Along with the hard work and study, he believes that there is time necessary for relaxation and fun. He enjoys, mainly, surfing the waters of Hawaii, “surfing helps me study better”, says Pehrson with a grin on his face. He also really enjoys dancing, “I love a little dance party,” he says.

Although some might think Pehrson Hawkley is just a stupid blonde kid who surfs all day and does nothing else, we all now know he is an inspiration to many. He has mastered the art of balancing his time to effectively have fun and work hard. It is appropriate to say that there is more than meets the eye. Pehrson’s friends will tell you he is someone to praise and admire.