Spanish professor departs Snow for private sector after 15 years
Matt Harris
Staff writer
9-29-2016
EPHRAIM—After 15 years at Snow College, Professor Bill Jensen has made the decision to depart from Snow for new ventures, effective Oct. 1.
Jensen has been teaching Spanish at Snow since 2001, but will begin a new career with the Goldman-Sachs investment company at the beginning of October.
“It’s a whole adventure,” Jensen said. “It’s a big challenge to do something completely different, but change is good and challenge is good.”
Jensen began teaching at Snow when he took a one-year contract to teach in replacement for a professor who had left the college a month prior to the start of the Fall 2001 semester.
Prior to Snow, Jensen was working as a graduate teacher at Pennsylvania State University.
Jensen says that when he took the small contract, he did not see himself staying at Snow College, but his family quickly fell in love with the town and the community of Ephraim. Jensen eventually became an influential figure in Sanpete, particularly with the Latin-American community, and was instrumental in the inclusion of many intercultural events at Snow, as well as the inaugural Snow College soccer program.
While excited for the new opportunity, Jensen has used this time as an chance to reflect on his time at the college. “I would hope that students knew that I cared about what I did, and that’s why I always was trying to improve,” Jensen said. “Therefore, I hope the students know how important they are.”
Jensen’s impending absence leaves big shoes to fill in Snow’s Spanish department, a void that Foreign Languages Department Chair Professor Travis Schiffman is looking to fill as soon as possible.
“[Jensen]’s contributions in teaching, as a citizen of the College, and his contributions to the city have been enormous,” Vice President of Academic Affairs Steve Hood said. “We will miss him and wish him well in this exciting new phase of his life. Snow College is a better place because of Bill.”
