Mark Adkins

In 1998, I married Alana Nolen of West Frankfort. I went to SIU C'dale for Elementary Education. This is my 12th year teaching first grade in Marion. Alana teaches Social Studies at the Marion Junior High. We had our first son in 2005 and our second son in 2008. Both were premies, but are now as healthy as can be.

I had so many memories of high school. I remember the time Coach Lee got so mad at us that he got on Coach Toney's shoulders, put on a huge trench coat and tried to scare us. They were about 12 feet tall and ran around growling at us as we ran line tappers. We all knew it was Coach Toney under there. But, we acted scared anyway. Then, there was the time Murph was teaching an art lesson about lines and shapes. He was so into his lesson that he didn't notice that we'd all sneaked out the back, walked to Benton, and started throwing water balloons at him (from Benton). Man, he was pissed. Next, I remember being at Delmar Studios for my senior pictures. That photographer who said, "Quickly, quickly" forgot his camera. My mom had paid lots of money for those pictures, so he drew my senior pictures on a paper towel. He even wrote '92 in the corner. The only problem was that I didn't ever get my feather boa back. Damn you, Delmar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Last, and probably best, was Sadie Hawkins. Dunn's was out of Real Tree tuxedos, so my date and I went to Wendy's. And, of course, she bought our meals, 'cause....say it with me... it was Sadie, Mutha-grabbin' Hawkins!