Jenny Hess grew up in Mesa and Snowflake, AZ. She is the oldest of 6 children and has 2 children of her own. Calli is nearly 16 and Scotland is 13. She enjoys doing jigsaw puzzles, math puzzles, playing the piano, rake knitting, crocheting and gardening.
Jenny recounts one of her most embarrassing moments:
“I was teaching 8th grade and I got upset at a female student for fooling around during attendance and saying "here" when I had called a boy's name. Turns out, it WAS the boy saying "here"! His voice just hadn't changed yet and sounded very high-pitched. I couldn't apologize enough to that student!”
When I asked Jenny what is the hardest thing she’s ever done, she responded,
“Making it through the first 5 months of several pregnancies (I get extremely nauseous and can't keep anything down, some ended in miscarriage), and being single (while raising two kids, finishing my degree, holding a part-time job, and then my first year of teaching).”
Jenny admits that she was a brainer in high school, but all of her hard work paid off when she received a full-ride scholarship from BYU! She dreams of taking a road trip to the Pacific Northwest & Canada (and taking LOTS of pictures), serving a humanitarian mission for the church and someday having a large vegetable and flower garden!
When I asked Jenny what book or movie best described her life, she responded,
“Does my journal count? :) Okay, I would probably say Little Women. I had a great family life growing up, with amazing parents who planted truths deep into my heart and empowered me to pursue what I wanted to become. I also realize more and more that I am just different from people around me, so I can relate to Joe feeling that way. I also fell in love with a man much older than me (20 years) and love the way he gently inspires me to become the best I can be, while making it clear that he loves me just the way I am.”
Becky Call was born in California and grew up in Mesa, AZ. She has 3 kids: Jacob (10), Jennifer (9) and Katelyn (8). Her favorite place to be is at home with her husband and children. She loves food, but especially loves Mesa Frozen Yogurt (chocolate & irish mint, to be exact), Costa Vida’s sweet pork and anything chocolate (as long as it’s not dark)! Becky enjoys scrapbooking, baking, cooking, organizing and doing puzzles.
When asked about her most embarrassing moment, Becky told the following story:
Becky worked very hard to earn her bachelor’s degree shortly after becoming a single mom. She began working full time, after staying home with her children for 8 years, and attended school at the same time. Many advised her to withdraw from school because of her circumstances, but she pressed on. She now works in the aerospace industry and is the only person at her company who owns a purple set of tools! (Most of her co-workers are men.)
Becky’s ultimate goal is to stand in the celestial room with her husband and all of her children one day.
Bonnie Hawkes grew up right here in Mesa. However, she spent a year and a half of her high school years in Guam and absolutely loved being near the beach and in an atmosphere that was “so wonderful and super chill.” She also loves Hong Kong (such a world traveler)! She says it is really safe, the people are super nice, and the shopping is killer.
Bonnie is expecting her first baby this summer. She participates in a dodgeball league and loves it. She will be sitting out for the next couple of seasons because of her pregnancy, but plans to return as soon as the baby is born! She also enjoys bowling, reading and photography. Check out her photo blog, bonniejeanphotos.blogspot.com.
Bonnie’s most embarrassing moment happened when she was 14 years old. She says,
"I was doing a duet [at a fireside] with my mom and when we would practice we would crack up and have fun. The problem was...when we sang the song in front of everyone, I remembered the joke and started cracking up. My mom was SO mad and I was embarrassed beyond compare.”
Bonnie says that the most difficult goal she has set and achieved was receiving her Communication degree from ASU. It was a lot of hard work, but she endured and is very happy to have followed through with it.
Carma Garner was born and raised in Idaho. She has 9 children: Reed (57), Karen (55), Layne (54), Kenn (52), Vaughn (51), Blair (49), Neal (deceased), Ellen (43), Todd (42). Carma enjoys family history, reading and spending time with her children and grandchildren. She also loves to dance! Her favorite place on earth is wherever her husband and children are.
Carma went back to college after the age of 50 and became a CPA at age 60! That is quite an accomplishment! She loves serving others and hopes to continue to do so for a long time.
