Monique Hawk (@thehawkgirl on Instagram) has been a police officer in San Diego, California for two years. When she’s not serving her community, she’s enjoying the outdoors spending her free time at the beach, hiking, snowboarding, cooking, and working out. But when October rolls around, her true passion for art and creativity comes out in the incredibly detailed pumpkins she carves.

So how did Monique become a professional pumpkin sculptor? From a young age, she fell in love with Halloween and pumpkins. Her parents would have pumpkin carving parties for the whole neighborhood, so she was competitive from the start when it came to coming up with the best design and creation. As her skills and tenacity became refined over the years, she realized she had something niche, and something special.

She’s been carving for nearly 10 years now and has become well known in the world of competitive pumpkin carving. Most recently, she competed on Food Network’s Outrageous Pumpkins for a shot at the $25,000 grand prize. On the show, seven master carvers are tested to show off their carving, sculpting, lighting, and engineering skills.

“The best part about spreading my gift is the ability to give back to the community. Each year, I donate a percentage of profits towards Breast Cancer research,” Monique said. “Pumpkin carving is an incredibly therapeutic outlet for me.”

When it comes to her creative side, Monique enjoys the journey. “I constantly remind myself I really have no idea what I’m doing, but I have fun trying to figure it out. I will forever stay advantageous towards the wonderful opportunities and people this life brings.”

Check out her pumpkin carving creations below!