I enjoy so many things, it is hard to pin them down! I really enjoy being a dad, and spending time with my kids. I have a love for reading that my father passed on, and when I can carve out the time, I love to escape into a fantasy or sci-fi novel. I am an artist, and have become a professional miniature painter over the years. I am also a caricature artist, and will sneak out and draw at a rib-fest or carnival under the pseudo-name “Lou Rollins”. I love the outdoors, and spending time camping, hiking, and scouting.
There are so many, it is really had to pick just one; so many opportunities for fun to be had, and for people to serve. I suppose it would have to be the wonderful experience of participating in the groundbreaking ceremony for what is now the Greenwood Student Center. I was serving as the Student Body President, and President Carlston was serving as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees at that time. My Aunt, Colleen Larsen (sister-in-law to Katie Jean Larsen, who served on the Executive Council several years before), was in the area visiting family. We all were able to participate in the momentous occasion of turning dirt for what was a major undertaking for the campus at that time. It was heart-warming and has left an indelible impression on me. Look at where we are now! And the campus continues to grow under Dr. Carlston’s direction and vision.
I started working for the Church Educational System upon graduation from Southern Utah University, as a Religious Educator and absolutely loved it! I worked there from 1996 to 2011 and then left the Seminaries and Institutes program to start a career in the Financial Services Industry as a Financial Consultant with Northwestern Mutual. I eventually decided to specialize in retirement planning with Banker’s Life and Casualty. But I missed teaching, and found myself wanting to influence educators who struggle with reaching peripheral students who have different learning rhythms. So, I got certified with the National Center for Teacher Effectiveness as an Educational Consultant, and started working toward finishing up my Educational Doctorate in Curriculum & Instruction at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Then, this last summer, a good friend of mine, Jim Bethel, who has been a professional scouter for more than twenty years, informed me that the Boy Scouts had need of a professional in the area. While it was a significant cut in pay, I jumped at the opportunity to move back “home” to Sanpete County! I have received such a warm welcome coming back, it has been a deeply moving experience.
So much of what I learned at Snow has been pivotal in my life experience, and President Carlston, along with Dr. Neal Cox, along with so many others, have contributed (and keep contributing) to help me learn so much as an individual and as a professional. My mother used to have a sign hanging up near my bedroom which read, “Try not to become a man of success, but rather… a man of value!” Behind the quote, there was a picture of a grandfather fishing with his grandson. I have never forgotten that. It has blazed a trail in my heart that has led me to where I am today. The reason I share it, is because the “warmth” of Snow College and the culture that is cultivated here, presented an environment for me years ago as a student to put that principle into practice, and it has forever changed my life!
Snow College is truly a magical place! It really is “the warmest Snow on Earth” and there will be so many wonderful opportunities and experiences that you will have while attending here that you will never forget! Take advantage of the intimate settings, and get to know your professors. They are so unique and amazing, and they want to help you. I can’t tell you how many times I have bumped into alumni from Snow, in my world travels, and they never seem to mention where they received their undergraduate degree from, but they never fail to mention that they are a Snow College Badger! Be proud of your school, because it will stay with you for the rest of your life!
If you would like to be highlighted, or know someone who would, please contact the Advancement Office by phone: 435-283-7062 or email: alumni@snow.edu.
