Personal Intro

I, Evan William Smith, was born on March 21, 1983, in Salt Lake City, Utah at St. Mark’s Hospital to Homer and Patricia Smith. I am the middle of 3 boys and a dog named Zoe. My dad has been an Anesthesiologist at St. Mark’s Hospital for 33 years and is nearing his retirement. My mom, Patricia, is a homemaker with many valuable talents and attributes that are rare to find. Both of my brothers currently work in education. My older brother, Colin, works at a Jr. High while getting a Master’s Degree from the University of Utah. My younger brother, Peter, also works at a school despite struggling with a physical handicap that affects his walking.
I began my educational experience at the University of Utah in the Fall of 2001. I initially wanted to become an architect, but after some complicated math and physics courses, I decided it wasn’t for me. My next foray was into Mechanical Engineering, but that didn’t pan out either. I decided to take a few semesters enrolled in only one class while I did some deep soul searching. At the time, one of my best friends was enrolled in the Communications Program at the U of U, and I decided it was time for me to get out of school as soon as possible, so I joined him. I graduated in Spring 2008 with a BS in Mass Comm and a Minor in Business.
My past educational experiences have shown me that when I am on the right path, I am a very dedicated student. When I can see the benefit and the light at the end of the tunnel, I am motivated and focused. When I’m not on a path, I just spin my wheels and don’t get anywhere. I am currently on a path and can see the light, so I am dedicated and motivated to learn.
After graduation, I got my Utah Real Estate License through my Business Minor. For several years, I practiced real estate as a sales agent, but never fully treated it like a career. It ended up becoming more and more of a drag on my psyche. For about a year and a half, I started applying to new jobs but quickly learned that my resume was not very strong and that Real Estate was not a great thing to have on my work experience. After muddling through the job board websites for eternity, I finally stumbled upon a company called Lendio. I interviewed and soon thereafter started working there in Nov 2015. This company has been a godsend for me. In the six months I have been here, I have grown so much and learned so much about myself and the business world. I love my coworkers, I love the work I do, and I love the coaching that is available if you want to improve. This job is like a psychiatry session every single day. People will push you when you need, it. They will reassure you when you need it. And they will poke fun of you when you need it. It is perfect for me.
Something unique about me is that I am absolutely obsessed with cars and the automotive industry. I am usually thinking about cars in the background of anything else I am doing. I can get into very heated conversations about cars with other car nuts. I am also a very passionate dog lover. I have a Wire Fox Terrier who I am obsessed with. Finally, I am a very loyal and dedicated sports fan (Jazz, Utah, Lions, Tigers). I absolutely cannot stand soccer. I have been on a bowling league for 12 years.
My strengths are using technology and other tools to get jobs done the fastest. I usually know an app or website that can make work or projects much simpler and easier. I am also a critical thinker, something that Lendio is instilling in me. I am also very good at using maps and directions to make physical projects more time-effective.
In this class, I expect to learn how to juggle many different projects and timelines at the same time while continuing to grow as a group coworker and leader. I expect to be pushed and I expect to be uncomfortable, especially because my other class this semester is going to be rigorous. I expect to be graded fairly and to enjoy going to class.
I am committed to coming to class every week on time and completing the assignments before the due date. I am committing to making my group happy they chose me to be on their team. I am committed to doing as much of the reading as my time affords me. I am committed to making the class an enjoyable place to be.