My name is Andrea Marie Hansen; I am a student at Brigham Young University-Idaho and will be graduating this semester with a Bachelors in Landscape Design. I suppose that my interest in plants and working outside reverts back to my childhood. I was raised in Napa, California, as well as, Alpine, Utah. When I was younger I spent many hours playing outside. This included activities such as, gardening, building forts, catching wild cats, and bicycling. To say the least I was what you would call a tom boy, and on one occasion almost took my little brother’s eye out when we were playing Indians with a makeshift bow and arrow that I had created.
Napa, California is a small city of about 80,000 people located in Northern California. It’s commonly known for its beautiful vineyards and exquisite views. People from around the world visit Napa to taste test their wine. However, growing up as a member of the church, I enjoyed the Napa Valley for its wonderful hikes rather than its wine.
When I was 10 years old my family sold our home and moved to Alpine, Utah. This was due to my Dad’s job; he worked at Napa Pipe and was expecting to be laid off. Work was very slow and not many men were expected to keep their jobs, so in anticipation of him losing his job we moved. However, over the next two years we lived in Utah while my dad remained in California. Incidentally, he wasn’t fired and was not able to find a job which paid as well in Utah. He would visit every so often, and I remember often receiving help with my math homework from him over the phone.
I have many fond memories of Utah especially during the summertime. In sixth grade I had a teacher named Mr. Brown who I still have contact with today. I greatly admired his guitar skills, and he taught me to love mathematics. My elementary school was located about three quarters of a mile from where we lived. Every day on the way home from school I would run as fast as I could in an attempt to beat him on foot. He would drive by in his red truck as I sprinted to reach my street before he passed by. During this time I grew to love running as well, which is why I participated in cross country in later years.
At the end of this two year period our family returned to Napa, California and rented different homes throughout my years in middle and high school. Many factors have contributed in shaping my life, and forming me into the person I am today. One of these factors was the move from California to Utah that our family made. Making new friends was difficult for me since I was very reserved as a child. However, moving to a new area helped me to grow socially and move out of my comfort zone.
I was raised in a very liberal area, and as a result I began to adopt some very liberal views throughout high school. However, I remained active in the church due to wonderful leaders and good influences that I had around me. During this time two sister missionaries came into our home ward that changed my life. Sister Ricks and Sister Wadsworth were both from Pocatello, Idaho and had both attended Ricks College. I was trying to decide where I would go to college at this time. I had applied to a very liberal college in Vermont, as well as, one in Maine. Until they entered my life I had never considered attending a church school, and in fact, was very opposed to the idea. However, through their examples the Lord was able to soften my heart and I applied to BYU-Idaho. I prayed a lot about which school I should attend and decided to come here. From that moment I have never regretted that decision. The people that I have met here, as well as, the spirit I have felt has forever changed my life.
As a result of attending this school I decided to go on a mission, and served in the Argentina Buenos Aires West Mission. Two incredible Mission Presidents and their wives, as well as, the people in that area changed me. I came to see the importance of reaching out to others, and in a very real way saw the Lord’s hand in my life. Obedience was an underlying principle in my mission, and I gained a testimony of the importance of exact obedience to the Lord.
Religion and Family are two values that are most important to me in my life. I love my family, and especially have close ties to all of my siblings. I love them each very much and would consider them my best friends. Being there for them during their times of need is essential to me. Physical health is another important factor in my life. I grew up with a mom who was very health conscience and every night we would have a home cooked meal around the table. My dad always went running, and oftentimes I would go with him. Also, my mom continued to take physical fitness classes even with five kids. She would take ballet, tap dance, and aerobics with my little brother by her side.
Although I grew up in a fairly conservative household, during high school I adopted more moderate political views. Rather than anchoring myself to one political party I claimed myself as an independent. This is because I decided that in case one party didn’t uphold the standards of the church or what the prophet said, I would like to vote for whoever should best uphold those standards.
I frequently avoid political debates, because growing up I only ever witnessed political debates that resulted in heated arguing. In fact, I would like to become more involved in the political world around me, however, as a full time student I have found little time for these issues. One of my goals is to become a better citizen, and to politically uphold the values that I believe in by electing righteous political representatives.
In addition, last semester I took an economics class which I found very intriguing. However, I admit that this was a difficult subject for me to grasp. Yet, I discovered the importance of learning about finances, as well as, investing. This class made me aware of how important it is to start saving now, because Social Security will not exist when I reach retirement age. Another goal of mine is to continue to increase my knowledge of financial matters, and begin investing in an IRA.
I know that our every day decisions can shape our future; that each day is a gift from the Lord. Sometimes I have forgotten this during difficult trials in my life; however, ultimately I have always felt that the Lord has been at my side. I believe that he has never left me alone and that he continues to guide my life each day and help me make correct decisions, which will impact my future.
