Where did it all begin? This is the story of my so called life.

Where did my family come

from and how did we end up where we are today? My mothers family is originally from
Denmark where they were converts to the Mormon Church. They migrated to America and then
came across the plains with the Mormon Pioneers and settled in a small town in southern Utah
called Bicknell. My great grandmother Jennie on my mothers side came from a large family of
eight brothers and sisters. She married my great grandfather Pier Murray Hamlin. His mother
died when he was eleven and he was raised by an aunt. Together they had five children, my
grandmother Evelyn Hamlin was their youngest daughter. My mothers dad, my grandfather,
Garth Newman Beck and his family settled in another small town called Centerfield. They were
married on February 2, 1965. It was a second marriage for my grandparents my dad had four
children, Marsha, Brenda, Marlo, and Shanna from his first marriage and my mom had two
children, Annie and Mark from hers. They had my mother Jill, born on September 4, 1965 and
her younger brother David. Then they divorced, my grandmother Evelyn went on to have two
more children, Randi and Tomiko. One thing that is interesting is that my grandpa Garth was
eighteen years older that my grandma Evelyn. My great grandparents were born in the eighteen
hundreds. Without them Im not sure my mom would be a part of the Mormon Church and I
dont know that she would have raised me in that faith.
My name is Marci Ann Evans. I was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on November 17, 1995.
When I was born my parents were living in the home in West Jordan, Utah where I still live
today. They already had three children at the time. Eric is seven years older than me; Tara is five
and a half years older than me, and my brother Jake who is seventeen months older than me. I
was kind of a surprise. I dont think that my mother ever planned on having two children so close
together. My sister was very excited to have a little sister. When my mom called to tell my
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siblings they had a sister she could hear Tara running around screaming I have a sister. My
siblings have helped mold me into the person I am today by making me tough due to the fact we
all tease each other and either you take offense or just get over it. Thanks to them in high school
and throughout my life I didnt really care what other people had to think about me. My mom
named me Marci because in high school one of her friends was named Marci and she was the
most beautiful person she had met, inside and out. My mom always says that I am like the friend
she had in high school. When I was almost ten we really had a surprise, my little sister Amy
came along. I went from being the baby of the family for a very long time to being a big sister.
My earliest memories begin with blurs of images here and there. The very oldest image
was of a Mickey Mouse telephone and a room that was decked out with Mickey Mouse
everything. This was from our trip to Disneyland I would have been about three years old. At
first I thought this was all just my imagination until one day I asked my mom if we had ever
stayed in place that was decorated with Mickey Mouse artifacts. After that I remember random
childhood events such as my preschool teachers classroom, or the playground from my
kindergarten, but what I believe is the clearest memory is of all the times my brother and I
played with Lord of the Rings action figures. Down at the end of our street they were building a
new subdivision, we would play from sun up till sun down in construction areas. We loved the
dirt! It made for the perfect play place. I remember my brother and I were practically best
friends. We collected Pokmon cards, Star Wars action figures, and so many other oddities.
When I wasnt playing silly games in construction areas I was at a ball park. I lived there
because my two older brothers both played little league baseball and later my sister enrolled in
softball. I wasnt too fond of watching baseball so I would bring my favorite obsession Polly
Pockets! I had over a hundred of the little dolls. Nothing interested me more than Pollys because
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I was the only kid in my family interested in them. For Easter, Christmas, and every birthday I
would receive some sort of Polly Pocket toy. Another early memory that I recall is that my older
brother Eric has a best friend named Josh Sims, he only had brothers and when I was little he
would come over and have tea parties with me. He reminds me to this day about our tea parties.
My parents are Jeff and Jill. My dad was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on April 15, 1961.
He grew up in Salt Lake City which is now Cottonwood Heights. My dads parents are Carl and
Barbara Agutter Evans. They were both born in Salt Lake City, and married May 2, 1987. My
mother Jill Beck Evans was born on September 4, 1965, in Salina, Utah a small town about two
hours south of Salt Lake. She was born to Garth Newman Beck and Evelyn Hamlin. She spent
her early years in Salina before moving to Salt Lake. She was raised by my great grandmother
Jennie Hamlin from the time she was eleven until she was an adult. My dad is a police man. He
works for Unified Police before he worked there he worked for the Sheriffs Office as did my
grandfather and my great grandfather. My dad is so funny. We joke that he has OCD. He is the
best. He does so much for our family and will do anything that I ask of him. My best bonding
time with him is when I go to airshows with him. My mother is a nurse but has recently gone
back to school to teach high school English. I am very close to my mom. I can tell her
everything. She is very understanding and helps me through hard things. In the text it talks about
how parents relationship with the adolescent affects every aspect of development (Berger361).
My parents and some of their behaviors have rubbed off on me I find myself with little OCD
tendencies and find that whether I like it or not I am very similar to my mom in a lot of ways. So
many ways sometimes it scares me. I look up to my parents and their views on politics, religion,
and everyday life situations have helped shape the way I think but as I have grown up especially
now I find myself disagreeing with them more. In the text I read that disputes are common due to
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the adolescents drive for independence which clashes with parents desire to maintain control
(Berger 361). This is probably where the arguing between my parents and I began.
My family dynamics include an older brother Eric who is seven years older than me. He
was born on September 9, 1988. He is really smart and I feel dumb whenever I am around him.
However, he is really good to help me with math and physics homework. Next in line is my older
sister Tara, who is five and a half years older than me. Everyone tells me that Tara and I look just
alike. We do many fun things together like shopping, getting pedicures, swapping clothes and
talking about boys. She is followed by Jacob born on June 7, 1994. We are only seventeen
months apart so we are close. I feel like he always has my back. I hate his rule that friends are off
limits to little sisters. I was the baby for a very long time until I was almost ten when my mom
had our surprise Amy on March 22, 2005. I was pretty upset about losing my spot as baby of the
family. She is so busy and always wants to hang out with me and my friends. She has this crazy
idea that she is one of us, but they love her. According to the text in all cognitive development,
family interactions guide and advance learning (Berger 188). My little sister who has grown up
with teenagers act like a teenager herself so I find this to be very true.
I have no living great grandparents. I dont see my paternal grandparents very often. My
grandpa Garth died when I was nine. He was funny although I didnt see him often. My grandma
Evelyn lives in St. George and I dont see her very often either. One thing I do have in common
with her is that we both love to read. She was the town librarian in a little town called Monroe
before she retired and moved to St. George.
We used to have a lot of traditions. We had a white elephant Christmas party every year.
It was at my aunt Dianes. She planned most of our parties and we always had so much fun at her

house. We also had a huge Easter egg hunt at her house every year with all of our cousins. I bet
she hid a thousand eggs. My aunt Diane was a very important part of my life. She and my mom
were the best of friends. They did so much together she was always at our house. When she died
of cancer it was one of the hardest things that I had to go through. I miss her so much even now
after all this time I still miss her. We always went to Christmas breakfast at my great aunt
Sandras. When my aunt Diane passed away of Cancer six years ago all of our traditions that we
had died with her. When my dads sister moved home from the military my grandparents started
spending time with them and that ended the traditions we shared with them. One tradition we
have kept is the Occie Evans Award which is given to the most outstanding female athlete at the
University of Utah. Each family takes a turn handing out the award at a football game. I gave the
award out with one of my cousins this last year. My family goes to a small town in southern Utah
called Koosharem every Fourth of July. We build a float and are in the town parade. It is a lot of
fun.
I had a cat named Korner. She died March 2014. I got to pick out her name and she was
my cat. She slept with me every night. We had another cat named Raja sadly he ran away and we
never found him now we have two new kittens named Millie and Ella, and a lizard named
Herman. My dad is a real animal person. He takes more pictures of the cats than he does his
children. I think he is a cat whisperer. If you have seen The Croods then you have met my dad.
My favorite family vacation was this past Halloween when we went to Disneyland. We
had been several times before but Halloween is special at Disneyland. We got to go trick-ortreating there. They close Disneyland down and you have to have a special ticket. They give you
a bag that you use to collect candy in we only made it to four of the ten stations before our bag

was full. Instead of Tinkerbell and Julie Andrews doing the fireworks it is Jack Skelington and
his dog Zero. The fireworks are in Halloween colors. It was so much fun! Best vacation ever!
I have lived in the same home in West Jordan my entire life. My only move was to switch
bedrooms when my little sister came along. We live in a good neighborhood. There is very little
crime in my neighborhood maybe that is because of the police car parked in front of my house.
Almost all of the homes are well taken care of. My parents say that is important because it helps
with the resale value of your home. My mom worries about resale because she thinks that she is
moving to St. George as soon as she is done with school. She hates the snow!!! I like some of my
neighbors and love others but there a few that we cannot stand. Like the Prince family across the
street. They have four boys who are as big of jerks as their parents. Fortunately for me I wont be
here too much longer.
I started out my academic experience at Early Bird Montessori School. According to the
text good preschool education benefits children especially in cognition (Berger 159). I called it
Packen School because my teachers name was Mrs. Paxton. I loved preschool I attended there
for two years. After preschool I went to Riverside Elementary.
The best thing about kindergarten was I met my best friend Mackenzie Cope. I wanted to
be just like Mackenzie and in the text it says from age 6-11 children become more concerned
with what their peers think (Berger 285). Her mom was a teacher at the school. We are still
friends today. Our families are friends and we hold an annual super bowl party with them. But
academically speaking, I did not like school to begin with. My mom was the PTA president and
it seemed like I lived at the school in my preschool years. In kindergarten my teacher was Mrs.
Labrum, she was so nice. In October they finally figured out that thirty kids in kindergarten were

way too many and they divided our class. It was devastating to me. I lost many of my friends.
Fortunately Mackenzie and I stayed together. I learned to read in Kindergarten and have been an
avid reader since then.
In first grade my teacher was Mrs. Bundy. It was horrible Mackenzie was in a different
class. I hated year round school but I liked my teacher. I had a crush on Seth Gardener. We used
Bundy bucks that we had to earn and then we could spend them at a little store in our class so we
could learn to use money. I thought that I was stupid and in the remedial reading class but I
wasnt. Because my classes were always overcrowded the principal had the bright idea that for
literacy time, the class would be split and half would be taught by one teacher and half would be
taught by the other teacher. I went with the other group and did not stay with my teacher. I didnt
understand that it had nothing to do with whether or not you could read it was just don randomly.
I dont think anything in the Jordan School District is done randomly.
In second grade my teacher was Mrs. Yanda. I learned very quickly what behavior
problem students were. We had a boy in our class, Josh Southworth, he was awful. He drew a
picture of my mom on the board because she wouldnt let him cheat to win the math game we
were playing when she helped in my class. He also kicked a desk over and seemed to always be a
distraction in my class. He also said mean things to my teacher and other students.
In third grade my teacher was Mrs. Perkins. I loved second grade. Mackenzie was not in
my class but we played every recess and she came over to my house every Friday and my mom
babysat her and her little sister Morgan. I learned my math times tables in third grade. I was
really good at math. I also learned I had a really good memory. I made new friends, Caitlin
Blackmore, Emily Whatcott, Robbie Diamond, Tia Harrington and many other kids that I go to

school with still. We had a wax museum and I was Annie Oakley. I had to write a report on her
and learn about her life.
In fourth grade I had two teachers, in the morning I had Ms. Riley for language arts and
in the afternoon I had Mrs. King for math. This was a great year because both of my teachers got
to teach their favorite subject. We did so many fun things like Eric Carle plays and we published
a book. My book was about Ryzen Benson and was called Radical Ryzen. I still have that book.
Fifth grade was my worst year. Mackenzie moved to a new school because her mom
transferred schools. My teacher was a brand new teacher, her name was Mrs. Botcher. I was on
B track. It was the worse track at Riverside. There were eight kids in my class who did not speak
English. We didnt even do math homework because the teacher could barely control our class. I
think that they dumped a bunch of difficult kids in that class because being new she didnt know
that they were the bad kids. Our room mother quit the day before our Halloween party so my
mom and Caitlin Blackmores mom came to the rescue and we had a great party. I really hated
that year.
In sixth grade I was back on A track with all my friends. In the text, Invitation to the Life
Span (Berger 2014), we find that children like to be liked, that they learn faster and feel happier
when they have friends. I found that now that I was back with my friends I began to love school
again and pay attention. My teacher was Mrs. Gardner. She wasnt a great math teacher but she
was an excellent literature teacher. Once again reading became something I loved to do. I was
reading on a twelfth grade level in sixth grade. I was on safety patrol with Kingi Wolfgramm,
Clayton Ward, Jacob Hall, Seth Gardner and Samantha Gines and the boys made me do all the
work. We had a volunteer that taught art and an advanced math class, his name was MR. Z.; I

was able to attend his classes. I got braces in sixth grade. It was miserable and I hated my smile.
I loved sixth grade but I was definitely ready to move on.
I attended junior high at West Jordan Middle school. I made lots of new friends because
three elementary schools fed into our middle school. I ran for seventh grade class office and lost.
I never ran again. I hate failure it really was a popularity contest not who did the best job. I also
got a cell phone in seventh grade for my birthday it was so awesome. It was great having seven
classes. Some of my new friends were Taylor Stevens, Bradyee Bills, and Halle Figle.
Eighth grade was boring the best thing that happened was when I got my braces off. I
never liked to smile growing up but now I smile all the time. In between eighth and ninth grade I
really watched I ate almost to a point where I probably a meal a day. I had a girl ask if I was
preganant and it mortified me. According to the text adolescents will sometimes sacrifice their
future health to improve their body image (Berger pg. 328). I really loved ninth grade. I had
some crappy teachers but I also had some really great teachers like Ms. Bermudez and Mrs.
Palfreyman. I had my first crush on Keyen Neal. We liked each other through the summer. I had
lots of new friends, Brent Beales, Carson Cutler, Collin Bauman, and many others. It was an
awesome year.
I then went on to West Jordan High School. Where I gained enough confidence to begin
speaking my mind despite what others thought of me. I drove with my older brother Jake who
was a senior. We had a lot of fun riding together. I got to know a lot of his friends and boy they
were cute. I got my drivers license in February of my sophomore year. I went to my first school
dance, Sadie Hawkins with Austin Stevens. My first date was with Brent Beales. He took me to
the midnight showing of Hunger Games and bowling. He had to lie to his parents because he was

not sixteen yet. The first dance I was asked to was Junior Prom by my boyfriend Brent Beales.
He decorated my room with under the sea stuff, like fish and crepe paper it was sweet. I felt like
a princess. It was so much fun. I remember dancing with him I had to keep my heels on the entire
night because he was so tall. I had my first kiss it was at the Jordan High football game, I was
with my friends when Ryne Carillo called my name when I turned his direction he planted one
on me. I could feel his mexie stache, it was so awkward. I thought that it would be so romantic
something in the rain, foot popping, boy was I wrong. However, things have gotten better since
then. The worse thing that happened to me my sophomore year was when my brother was
assaulted at the school. It was totally unprovoked he was hauled out of the school in an
ambulance. I no longer feel safe in my school. You hear about teachers taking bullets for their
students but that doesnt happen at my school. They watched claiming to be too afraid to help.
Everyone is so worried about the outside threats when they should be worried about what already
exists inside.
My junior year has been rough; I broke up with my boyfriend. I lost my 4.0, and kind of
struggled with one of my teachers who was bulling me. He was my English teacher, Mr.
Wiemers; I dont think that he likes girl students. Everyone puts such an emphasis on students
bulling each other but what about when a teacher bullies a student? The system always protects
the teacher. I changed out of his class as soon as possible. Even though transferring out was not
my ideal plan it was in the end the best choice I developed many more relationships with kids in
my new classes and I was a much happier girl!
This year I have really grown up and matured. I have also changed a lot I am no longer
the shy little girl who didnt make SBO seventh grade year; I socialize more and have even made
new friends, but Staci Walter is really the only friend who I am with constantly. Thanks to Staci I
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tried out for varsity cheer, and made it! It was the first time I had tried out for anything since
seventh grade. Staci and I are inseparable we do everything together some of our hobbies include
stalking boys we like or dont like, blasting country music or the occasional pop hit now and
then, and now we go to cheer practice together. I am looking forward to my senior year where I
will get to cheer at sporting events and have an even greater year than this year.
Senior year was my favorite year not only because I met the love of my life but it just an
overall amazing year! So it started with this amazing summer where I had cheer practice every
morning from 6-10. Cheerleading and my friends from cheer introduced me to the guy who
would later become my boyfriend. I met Tanner hanging out with my best friends Emily,
Braydee, Staci, and Kassidey. Tanner and didnt have an immediate connection like in the
movies but with a few jokes he started to fall for my sarcastic sense of humor. Tanner was a
football player so he and I were a classic high school stereo type couple. We went to every dance
together and spent almost every day after school together. Three months into our relation I
became very ill with mono. Yes, the kissing disease. Although I had a boyfriend I contracted
from a girl on the cheer team who mistakenly drank out of my water bottle. I thought my life was
over. I couldnt go to school, cheer at basketball, but worst of all I couldnt kiss my boyfriend.
He was very supportive and never wanted to leave me eventually he couldnt stay away and
kissed me. Although afterwards he thoroughly rinsed with mouthwash and Im pretty sure he
used some hand sanitizer. I guess you could say we were crazy for each other. According to the
text it says, brain development in adolescents amygdala matures before the prefrontal cortex this
causing adolescents to be driven by excitement (Berger 331). Tanner I proved this statement over
and over throughout our relationship, we loved the way we made each other feel. Tanner and I
stayed together through Christmas and New Years and took me on all the holiday dates you
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could imagine. Then Tanner became ill and had to have surgery on a large ranula on the bottom
of his mouth. This meant no kissing again! Although most couples in high school base their
relationships on the physical attraction Tanner and I enjoyed the intellectual conversations we
had over the duration of our sicknesses. He found he fell more in love with me and all the
different parts I had to share. I also found that as I could not always talk to him I had to find
more creative ways to make him smile. In the text it states that communication and support are
helpful, perhaps even essential (Berger 363).We began to give each other small things such
making lunch for one another, dropping in with occasional fast food or gas station snacks. We
loved to do things for each other just to see the other smile. It wasnt because we received
anything in return it was purely out of love and wanting the person we loved to be happy in the
text it states that this type of motivation is called intrinsic motivation and it means that people do
something for the joy of doing it (Berger 207). Tanner and I attended every dance from
homecoming to prom together we danced and fell in love like a Cinderella story. The text book
doesnt say anything about anyone ever getting a fairytale life but Tanner sure did his best to
make me feel like princess. I cant think of a time he failed. Near the end of my high school life I
had a run in with bullying. I couldnt believe it me, a cheerleader, being bullied. I was being
bullied girls I once called my best friends. They sent me threatening texts, excluded me in
whatever activities they could and tried to make my life as miserable as possible all over
something as small as picking a boy over them. I handled the situation to the best of my ability
and eventually ignored the girls and havent talked to either of them since. Later graduation grew
closer and Tanner said we would need to break up over the summer so he could prepare for a
mission. Graduation came and went and Tanner and took our title away but became best friends
instead of the boyfriend and girlfriend we once were.

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Although Tanner and I broke we only became closer. As Tanner prepared to serve a
mission in the Dominican Republic, I began my mission papers. I submitted them finally and
received my call to Washington DC south Spanish speaking. I was overwhelmed with excitement
and fear. I hadnt taken Spanish since I was in middle school and am still unsure how well I will
be able to retain what I learned and will learn. A few weeks after my call Tanner left on his
mission. I became depressed slept till two in the afternoon and sobbed through countless,
sleepless nights. I finally had to pull myself together and keep going with the life I had, after all
had just started my very first semester of college and needed to focus. It became easier as Tanner
was away longer. Going to salt lake community college has helped keep me busy and in the text
in states many emerging adults continue their identity search, especially for vocational and ethnic
identity (Berger 423). I find that as Tanner is gone I have to search for myself and learn to
become my own person. I began to prepare myself to go through the temple and finally was able
to go through the draper temple on October, 17. It was a great experience and I will never forget
it.
As the holidays came I began to become saddened watching loved ones spend time
together and I could not spend time with my loved one. I decided to stop being dramatic and
again focus on my schooling and preparing for a mission.
I have come such a long way from when I was an insecure girl in middle school. I now
find myself thriving with confidence and being able to look at the brighter side of life. I do my
best to look for the good in others and to not judge too quickly. After all I would like the same
courtesy and how can I ask for something I myself am not willing to give. By any means Im not
perfect not even close. I am who I am today because of what my parents have taught me, school
teachers, seminary teachers, peers, and things Ive had to learn by trial and error. Im so grateful
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for all the opportunities I have been blessed with and all the trials I have had to face. I wouldnt
change anything about my life. I hope to later attend the University of Utah after all the text
talks about massification, which is the idea that college could benefit everyone (Berger 404).
Although I am already at Salt Lake Community College I believe more education never hurt
anyone. I will need a lot of school to become a nurse practitioner or maybe even a teacher. I still
need to decide what I want to be and I hope my college classes and other life experiences help
me find the path I am supposed to take.
When I was in kindergarten my mom started me in piano lessons. All four of us kids took
lessons it was crazy trying to find practice time. I did not like playing the piano and in sixth
grade my mom finally let me quit. I wish she would have made me stay with them.
I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I used to be the
Laurel President in my ward. I have earned my Young Woman Medallion which is and
equivalent to an Eagle Scout for boys. I was blessed and baptized by my father. I attended and
graduated Seminary at West Jordan High School. According to the text few adolescents totally
reject religion if theyve grown up following a particular faith (Berger 357). I find this to be very
true, my parents raised me in the religion but always said accept everyone even those who arent
of your faith and forgive those in your faith who offend you. The text also states religion
provides meaning as well as coping skills (Berger 357). I agree with his as well my religion has
gotten me through some of my darkest moments in life and for that I am a different person and
now handle certain situations differently. My religion has had a big hand in shaping the person I
am today.

14

My physical description is hard to describe. I think that I am always harder on myself

than others are of me. I am five foot one inch short. I have brown eyes that are the color of
amber. I am told they are very pretty. I have very long dark hair with blonde highlights, that I
wear curled most days. I have a really great smile. My skin is very fair akin to Snow White.
I look forward to a future with my boyfriend Tanner when he gets back from his mission
and I look forward to going on a mission and serving others. I hope to be able to accomplish all
the things in life I have planned. In the text it talks about intimacy verses isolation this theory
states that adults seek someone with whom to share a life with in an enduring self-sacrificing
commitment. Without such commitment they risk profound lowliness and isolation (Berger 415).
Such as a having a family, I hope to start that at around age twenty five which in the text states
most women have their first child at age 25 (Berger 394). I plan to one day travel the world with
my husband and settle down with a beautiful family and live my life no matter what cards I am
dealt. I love this life I have and cant wait to see whats in store for me.
I believe that all the trials and blessings I have had in my life have made me who I am
today whether, it is being influenced by my parents, my friends, my siblings, or even my
boyfriend. They have all had their part to play I believe though that one thing that I have shaped
for myself is that fact I dont like people knowing how I feel. In the text it talks about
internalizing the problem. This means that one turns their emotional distress inward, as by
feeling excessively guilty, ashamed, or worthless (Berger 209). I have struggled with this my
entire life. No one in my family is truly happy with their lives so I feel like its my job to fix
them and when I cant, I feel like their unhappiness is my fault and I cant fix them. This then
leads me to feel worthless thinking that I cant fix anyone and that I make no one happy. My
boyfriend has been such a huge support and really helped me work on not feeling guilty about
15

how other people feel. I now try to focus more on what I can do to help rather than fixing the
worlds problems. I am still growing and am positive I am not finished growing as a person but
as of right now this is how I became who I am today.

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References
Berger, K. (2014). Invitation to the Life Span (p159, 188, 207, 209, 285, 328, 331, 357, 361, 363,
394, 404, 415,423 .). New York: Worth Pub.

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