Years of Service Recognition: 2021

Brene Brown said, “What we know matters, but who we are matters more.” This statement couldn’t be more true with Patty. Her knowledge and experience plays a vital role in the Admissions Office, but even more important than that is what she brings to the office in other ways often unseen by others. Patty is kind, encouraging and supportive to all she comes in contact with, and a friend to all. Her hard work, dedication and years of service have truly made a difference in our office and at Snow College. Congratulations!

Matt is a dedicated employee of Snow College. He is a very multi-skilled person who has responsibility that includes: managing the swimming pool, developing a swim club, working with Manti High School to start its swim team, overseeing the management, training and upkeep of the Ropes Course on Badger Mountain, setting up and taking down for events in the HAC and the various fields. He hires students to manage the buildings, trains the life guards and many other duties as assigned. Matt is willing to fix things that get broken, ensures things are working in the fitness lab, the blue gym and other areas frequented by students. After all of this, he still manages to have a great garden and has a rare skill in stained glass work. His passion for the outdoors is evidenced by his love of rock climbing and the other activities he does in his spare time. Thanks Matt for the work you do and your dedication to Snow College.

Lisa Laird is a reliable and steady engine that never stops running at Snow College. Lisa is a key part of the Economic Development / Business team. Each year she manages the placement of over 600 student jobs on both campuses. Providing work-prep seminars, organizing job fairs and connecting industry to workforce via “hand-shake” is a small sampling of her work. The Career Center continues to set new student outreach records annually. We enthusiastically congratulate Lisa for 10 years of innovative, dedicated and steady service to Snow College!

Kevin Holdsworth is what Snow College prizes the most, a life-long learner. Not only does he teach our students how to think critically, write, appreciate literature, and find the treasures of this state, he is busy actively doing the same in his own life. He has written numerous books, explored the state and shared it with others, and devoted 10 years to teaching our students. He is quick-witted, creative, and has a passion for what he does.

Karen is a friend to all. She is an exceptional member of the nursing team. She goes above and beyond to do her job and makes her students feel comfortable in the learning environment. Her co-workers love to work with her. Thank you for all of your hard work over the years. It is a joy to work with you.

Rachel has a unique ability to see her work as a contribution to something bigger. She came to Snow because of her commitment to helping students like ours. She coaches a local swim team to give enriching experiences to families in the community. She served as president of the Utah Academy of Science, Arts, and Letters to build connections between scholars across the state. All of these examples are noteworthy, but Rachel’s biggest contribution is happens day to day in the classroom where she teaches students with both rigor and compassion, recognizing that the students are, at the same time, people—with talents, challenges, and great potential

Michelle Brown is passionate about student engagement and makes sure they know each and everyone belongs. Michelle does this by leading Student Life in providing well-planned and well-executed student events on campus. Michelle is always looking for creative ways to make Snow fun. Michelle collaborated with other Student Life leaders in Utah.

Lamar Keller is a key component to our team's success. Lamar cares deeply about the quality of work he does. He is very thorough and completes his work with efficiency. Lamar has great ideas and is willing to jump into any task headfirst no matter how difficult. Once a task has been assigned to Lamar, I know it will be completed with competence and utmost care. He gets along great with staff and faculty and is awesome to work with.

The Richfield campus testing center has grown into a much relied upon service, to students, faculty and staff. Elizabeth has spent the last 10 years molding the center into a “top notch” facility, supporting on campus testing for students, and professional testing to the community. Elizabeth’s co-workers value her leadership style and friendship. I believe Snow College is fortunate to have someone with Elizabeth’s talent and commitment running a critical area of support, and a place where students know they’ll have a positive experience. Best of luck on you next 10 years here at Snow Betsy!

John (or JC as we all call him) is the life of the party in the Marketing Office. He is our resident DJ… always ready with a pick-me-up playlist or a dad joke to elicit an involuntary chuckle and an eye roll. John adds so much to the culture we have created and the fun we are famous for among our student workers.

Equally valuable for his decades of experience in graphic design, John ensures the visual identity of Snow College remains impeccable. He is equally adept at designing a poster, creating digital media ads, printing large format materials, or relating the story of his latest vintage license plate acquisition. If you don't yet know JC, do yourself a favor and drop him a line. He's always game for a conversation over lunch!

Lauren is fully committed to whatever she does. Her teaching is innovative, student-centered, and passionate, and she is admired by her colleagues in the English Department. What she may be best known for is meeting with students; she cares about her students deeply and can often be seen in her office talking—with and not to—students about their writing projects. Lauren will be leaving Snow College at the end of December for other opportunities, and she will be missed. Her colleagues in the Humanities Division wish her all the best.

Sherri proves that there is an I in Team. She’s a one-person shop in the budget office. She is always willing to meet with people and help them with their questions. I appreciate her customer service attitude and her willingness to look for ways to improve her office. She’s dependable and a pleasure to work with. Thanks Sherri for all that you do and congratulations on 5 years!

Travis brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to Snow College that both contributes to the safety and protection of the institution but also the well-being of our students. More than once, graduated students have made contact to thank him for his care and let him know how they are doing as they progress through life. Since our office handles delicate and sensitive situations that can be difficult to talk about, this is a true testament to his ability to make positive connections and influence for good. It is an honor to celebrate his five-year anniversary. Thank you for all you do, Travis!

Mike is defined by his work ethic. If there is work to be done, he is in the middle of it. He truly leads by example and by effort. He is also willing to take on new tasks, even those tasks that push him outside of his comfort zone. As a leader, he models compassion, integrity, collegiality, and transparency. He is truly committed to student success and tries to turn conduct issues into learning experiences. Mike truly makes a difference in the Snow College community.

Taran is one of the faces that represent the Badger Den. She is the go-to person when things need to happen and get scheduled. She is always kind to people, and her office skills are top notch. Everyone loves working with Taran she has great work ethic and works and gets along well with anyone around her. She goes the extra mile to make sure things get done, and she always does it with a smile. The crew at the Badger Den loves Taran and appreciates all she does for them when they ever need help. We are lucky to have an employee like her. I know that I could not function without her. Congrats, Taran, on your five year mark.

Amy Watts has a unique job. Her job requires her to be an expert on a wide spectrum of disciplines, purchasing agent, lab manager, equipment keeper, and a number of other responsibilities. She is quick to learn these new skills and always willing to learn additional skills and responsibilities. In addition, she is always ready and willing to help other colleagues with their classes and labs. She is willing to come to work at odd hours of the week to make sure things are set up for labs and take care of the greenhouses and any problems that may arise. Many biology faculty rely upon Amy to help them with their labs and make sure everything goes well. Amy is an example of the dedicated service that make Snow College great. Thanks, Amy, for all you do.

Angie brings a “can do” attitude to our Student Support Services Team. She provides a comfortable office atmosphere for our students, is always willing to learn, and excels in maintaining our Student Access database in fulfilling complex reports as required by our grant. In addition, Angie willingly serves wherever she is asked and currently acts as the Polynesian Club Advisor. More importantly, however, is her ability to relate to our 1st Generation/Low-Income students in giving them the confidence to succeed. She herself is a first-generation college student and her ability to be a role model to our grant participants cannot be overstated. Thank you Angie for all you do!

Debbie is everything that you would wish for in an employee – professional, reliable, compassionate, patient, and always goes the extra mile to help others. She represents Snow College’s values at its core. Thank you for your commitment to excellence and your hard work. Snow College is a better place because of you!

Chris has been a part of our team for only 5 years, but has had his hand on most walls on our campus! Chris has been a great addition to our Campus Services crew. He is a hard worker and is super FAST at painting! He always has his eye on our walls and makes sure to repair areas that need it without being asked. We are so grateful to have him as part of our Snow family!

When one thinks of efficiency and heart, Leti comes to mind. While working in the Scholarship office, Leti was able to streamline many of the processes and accounts, while still helping students find the best fit for scholarships. Her desire to learn and grow in her work has led her to pursue more education and apply to another position at Snow College. She will be a great asset to Snow College for many years to come!

Jill brings positivity to the nursing department. She is willing to work with everyone and always comes with an optimistic attitude. She is a team player. She loves to teach and her students feel it in her classes. She makes a difference in her students’ lives. Thank you for all of your hard work and commitment. Snow is lucky to have you teaching.

Vikki is a wonderful asset to our Education and Family Studies Department. Her cheerful, compassionate demeanor is contagious among her students and colleagues. Vikki's passion is classroom engagement and it shows in her vivacious teaching practices! She's even been referred to as the "Miss Frizzle" of nutrition. Thank you, Vikki, for your love for learning and for teaching. Our students and faculty are lucky to have you!

Lindsay Chaney has only been at Snow College for 5-years but has made a lasting impact during that time. She has developed a new biology course, biology lab, and two different foundations courses. Lindsay has served on the curriculum committee and is currently serving as the Assistant Provost. Lindsay has a unique way of helping her students learn by having them do many hands-on activities. She has developed many of these hand-on learning exercises and uses them in her classes and shares them with her colleagues. When Lindsay is not teaching and serving at Snow College, she can be found helping coach volleyball. Thanks Lindsay, for all you do to help your students succeed and your service to Snow College.

Steve Hart is a dedicated teacher. He always strives to give his students the best opportunities to learn. This involves many hands-on experiences, demos, and displays that he builds himself. He currently serves as the Co-director of faculty development and strives to help others be the best teacher they can be. When Steve is not teaching or helping others teach, you can find him helping out with planetarium shows and taking care of department chair responsibilities. Thanks Steve, for being a big part of Snow College.

There is a Russian saying that states, “Without effort, you won’t even pull a fish out of a pond.” It would be difficult to find a professor more hardworking and devoted than Professor Dmitri Peskov is to our Dance and undergraduate students His creativity and industriousness are infectious. And our students and Snow College are better because he is with us!

Josh joined Snow’s Business Department bringing with him a wealth of knowledge and industry experience in business and human resource management from working a number of years for major U.S. companies. Josh is a leader who leads with his heart and fairness when it comes to people. As a campus we all benefited from Josh’s work and efforts as Interim Human Resource Director. However, like most at Snow College employees his heart is in the classroom and when the time was right left the human resource office in favor of being with students in the classroom. Josh’s enthusiasm for learning is evident in his teaching, his work and mentoring with students, and his recent endeavor of pursing a PHD degree.

Anita is someone who creates constantly. Her poetry has been recognized statewide, her “dabbling” with watercolors results in beautiful art, and she often produces an anthology of student writing for her classes and the English Department. However, Anita also creates enriching classroom experiences for her students. Through consistent pedagogical research, trial and error, and deep knowledge of literature and composition, Anita’s creative writing, professional writing, composition, and literature classes consistently succeed in engaging students to develop their skills. Finally, with her colleagues, Anita is also creating a creative writing emphasis that results in, among other things, the publication of Snow’s beautiful, student literary journal each year.

Very few communities or Junior Colleges can boast the quality of Theatrical productions we enjoy at Snow College. In fact, the shows we see here rival those seen on “professional” stages in America’s big cities. Professor Andrew Nogasky’s leadership and teaching have elevated our students’ work to an unimaginably high level! Our College and Community are better for the outstanding work he and his colleagues create each season!

Scott is an engaging and dedicated teacher in our Social Science Department. His concern for students and encouragement towards their success is well known on campus. He is always willing to pitch in for institutional service and provide help to his colleagues. Scott’s sense of humor keeps his department and students laughing and his knowledge and love for the Social Sciences help educate and enlighten those around him.

Stacie’s positivity rubs off on others whether they are her current students in the classroom, or the students she advised and mentored through the Snow College Career Center. She gives students specific feedback in a way that shows kindness, and then she often checks on them to see if they followed through to improve their performance or their assignments. Her suggestions and feedback for advising processes also led to improved exit outcomes for our grads to obtain employment after college, or better scholarship or student leadership placement outcomes when they left Snow College for their next degree.

Matt brought a vast amount of experience to Snow’s agriculture program from his years teaching high school FFA and agriculture courses and maintaining and operating his innovative and intensively management sheep operation. Not to be outdone by experience he also brought his enthusiasm for working with students creating a vision for what they can achieve and creating invigorating classes. Matt joined a growing visionary ag program and added his vision and energy to further the program’s growth. Matt has been instrumental in developing two new agriculture program degrees with stackable certificates, and creating 6 new classes. Matt heads up management of the college farm and facilitates an annual student weeklong tour to large national farm equipment shows.

Petra Brittner excels in her position as a Concurrent Enrollment advisor. If you know Petra, you know the hats she wears goes beyond that. She also spends her time and energy serving many other parts of campus including recruitment, Ag Business and Title IX.

Amy is the foundation of the work of Academic Affairs. Her organizational abilities and her attention to detail ensure that committee work is completed, up-to-date, and accurate. The faculty rely on her to orchestrate, facilitate, and complete advancement and tenure work, to maintain the course database, and to guide them through the policies and expectations of the institution. She does all of this with a positive attitude and a caring demeanor. New faculty quickly learn she is fundamental to their success. Thanks, Amy, for keeping things organized and for caring, always, about student and faculty success.

Ivan came out of a career in the construction industry spanning years of residential and commercial building in Utah, Washington and California. In his building career has built over 110 homes and working on a number of commercial building projects. Ivan has upgraded the construction management courses to reflect current building techniques and trends. His hands on approach to teaching has required creativity in finding projects that provide hands-on application of class room learning. Projects have included building new cabinetry to upgrade and remodel homes and constructing outbuildings and studios involving students from designing and engineering through permitting to completion for community members who have a project and desire to provide real-life experiences for students.