Snow College honors 1,647 graduates across three ceremonies

EPHRAIM—This year’s class is graduating into uncertain times, especially with the advent of artificial intelligence, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, Sydnee S. Dickson, former Utah superintendent of public instruction, told Snow College graduates last week.

“Uncertain times are not the enemy of opportunity, they’re the birthplace of it,” Dickson told graduates Friday, May 1, at the main graduation event in Terry Foote Stadium. The key, she said, is “looking up” and “leaning in.”

“Looking up,” she said, “means lifting your eyes from what’s familiar and allowing yourself to notice what else exists. Maybe it was a class you didn’t expect to love, a job posting you don’t feel quite ready for, a path that wasn’t part of your original plan.”

She defined “leaning in” as participating even when you’re unsure, saying “yes” before you feel completely ready, staying engaged when things feel uncomfortable and unfamiliar.

She said it might mean introducing yourself to someone you admire, raising your hand or speaking up, or choosing not to quit just because something gets difficult.

“This is the secret to any success I’ve had,” she said. “I’ve just learned how to say ‘yes’ and lean in, especially when it’s challenging.”

On Thursday, April 30, the day before the outdoor gathering on the Ephraim campus, a program was held in the Sevier Valley Center honoring students who have done most or all of their coursework on the Richfield campus.

That evening, a convocation was held in the Jorgensen Concert Hall at the Eccles Center for 34 graduates in commercial music and software engineering, the two bachelor’s degree programs at the college.

Between the three events, the college had 1,647 graduates this spring, 434 from the six-county R6 region, and at least one graduate from 28 of the 29 counties in Utah. Many graduates walked away with more than one credential. One student even completed bachelor’s degrees in both commercial music and software engineering in the same year.

Before Dickson’s address, the college awarded honorary degrees to her and to Richard Wheeler, who has held many roles in administration and teaching at the college and has also been a leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“We put significant thought into these recognitions,” President Stacee McIff told the crowd. She noted that all speakers and honorary degree recipients are approved by the college Board of Trustees. “It’s important that we introduce our students to the very best role models our state and nation have to offer.”

Wheeler, she said, “has worn just about every hat” at Snow, including student, faculty member, vice president in multiple areas and interim president twice.

His academic area is speech communication. He founded an organization called SynerComm, and through it, McIff said, has become a “nationally recognized speaker and consultant.”

After serving as the liaison between Snow College and the Utah Legislature, he was elected to the Utah House of Representatives. Later, he became a member of the Utah Board of Regents, now the Utah Board of Higher Education.

He has been president of the Arizona Gilbert Mission for his church, an area seventy and is now president of the Manti Utah Temple.

He and his wife, Linda, have raised six children, all of whom have attended Snow. The couple is “known for their generosity, kindness and deep love for the people around them, values that reflect the best of Snow College,” McIff said.

McIff said Dickson has dedicated 45 years “to serving the students of Utah.”

She grew up in Antimony, Garfield County, where her father called the windstorms that came through “whirly gigs.” Later, she taught in the two-room school in the town.

From there, she earned five degrees from Utah institutions and worked as a counselor, school administrator and district administrator.

She served as state superintendent from 2016 to 2025. In that role, McIff said, she led statewide efforts in literacy, STEM education, college and career readiness, and building systems to encourage capable people to go into education, “all while championing personalized, student-centered learning,” which, McIff said, is what Snow College tries to offer.

At the Richfield commencement, the college gave what it called “special recognition” to David and Lana Ogden, who, the commencement program said, “have built a life centered on faith, family, service, education and community, and together have supported Snow College as a beacon of learning and civic engagement.”

Years ago, David Ogden earned a certificate in automotive technology at Snow and later held executive roles with Sysco, the national food distribution company. Lana Ogden spent 28 years teaching in public schools in Richfield and Blanding.

The speaker in Richfield was Rich Christiansen of Salem, Utah County, who is described in the graduation program as a “globally recognized thought leader, mentor, educator, entrepreneur and humanitarian.”

He has founded or co-founded 51 businesses, 16 of which have become multimillion-dollar enterprises.

He is author of “The Zig Zag Principle,” which became a national bestseller; “The Values Blueprint,” a workbook to help readers discover their values and implement them in their daily lives; and “Blind-Sighted: A Journey of Identity, Faith and Healing,” about his discovery at age 54 that he was a donor-conceived child and how he reconciled that finding with his identity.

In his talk, he, like Dickson, talked to graduates about confronting turbulent times. Years ago, he said, Ray Norda, a giant in early computer technology, told him, “You can resist change and die, you can adapt to change and survive, or you can embrace change and thrive.”

As bleak as the world may seem, extreme poverty has declined dramatically in the past 40 years, he said. Hunger, while unacceptable, affects a smaller percentage of humanity than it once did. “This shows progress is possible,” he said.

“Do not resist change,” he advised. “Embrace it, shape it, lead it. Stand up and present solutions.”

The speaker at the bachelor’s convocation was Merrill Osmond, lead singer for decades in the world-famous Osmond family. He has personally received 27 gold records from the Recording Industry Association of America. The Osmond brothers have won 47 gold records.

He was the executive producer of “The Donny and Marie Show” as well as President Ronald Reagan’s first inaugural address and President George H.W. Bush’s inaugural ball.

Osmond said commitment and hard work are the foundations to success and contribution. He said in meeting world and national stars over the years, he found the thing they had in common was commitment to their craft.

“Wherever your paths lead, from concert halls to software labs, from studios to startup companies,” he said, “remember the effort you’ve put into your education today becomes the foundation of the life you will build tomorrow.”