Though she seems to have a clear set of crises in the form of certain academic difficulties she seems to overcome them quite simply through a commitment easily made to engage in hardened studies. The real crises she encounters with her personal life doesn"t truly develop until her senior year of high school when she begins to realize her lack of faith in God. This is when her personal life and development begin to take hold. .

             Erikson"s Theory revolves around the notion that "Life is a sequence not only of developmental but also of accidental crises" and "It is hardest to take when both types of crisis coincide." . This notion applies directly to Stacy"s sudden realization that her personal relationship with God was not up to par. She finds herself haunted by a reoccurring dream that depicts her struggles in life and her boyfriend Jason"s words of the need to have God in her life. This is the beginning of Stacy"s advancement into personal development. It is here where she begins to find conflict with who she is, which is the direct definition of Erikson"s fifth stage of the Life Cycle: "Identity vs. Identity Diffusion": "There came a time when I could not merely rely on my family"s opinion or views of God. I began to search to find out who God was for myself." . It"s at this time that Stacy begins to explore other interests that spark direction in her life. Instead of just concentrating on her studies, she begins to develop a personal need for personal gratification in the form of protesting against racism. Stacy"s commitment to past aspects such as her academic studies began to falter, as if her bonds to such commitments began to break down. One would say that perhaps Stacy falls into a state of Moratorium according to Marcia"s theories at this point of her life. Yes, she does want to become a doctor, but upon discovering her deep union with anti-racists activists she converges upon a form of exploration.