Alumni Spotlights

AlumniSPOTLIGHT

Emma Benson Jill Coil

Emma Benson always knew she wanted to attend Snow College. After watching her father, Michael Benson, serve as the college’s 14th president in addition to her mother working at Snow College, Emma knew that she would someday be a Badger. Emma said, “Having parents who valued education helped me do the same, and Snow College opened so many doors for me in that regard.” She attended Snow College from 2015-2016 where she received an associate of arts degree, graduating summa cum laude. Some of Emma’s fondest memories at Snow include playing on the tennis club team, participating in a travel seminar to Rome and Barcelona, and dancing with friends at western swing. Emma also cherished her time serving as a member of the President’s Leadership Team and loved hosting events on campus, most notably, the 2015 Founders Day ceremony for the Graham Science Center groundbreaking. After graduating from Snow College, Emma served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Cambodia. She then attended Brigham Young University, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism in 2021. Emma currently works as a morning news anchor at KIFI Local News 8, a television news station in Idaho Falls. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the outdoors, playing pickleball, traveling, and country swing dancing. She attributes her love for country swing dancing to her time at Snow when she would dance with her friends in the room above Roy’s Pizza on Main Street in Ephraim.

Regarding her time at Snow, Emma says, “Snow College provided me with so many great opportunities and valuable experiences that I wouldn’t have had elsewhere. I appreciated the small class sizes, which allowed me to interact with my professors and classmates and be engaged in the learning process. I loved the tight-knit campus and gained lifelong friendships at Snow College. Go Badgers!”

Jill Coil attended Snow College from 2000-2002. Having always wanted to become a lawyer, she took the advice of her academic advisor and decided to major in political science. Jill excelled in her studies and received Snow College’s Political Science Student of the Year Award. Some of Jill’s most memorable moments at Snow included playing on the Snow College Volleyball Team and becoming a “True Badger.” She finds herself thinking back on those funny memories of kissing random strangers beneath the bell tower to earn her “True Badger” title. These are the kinds of memories that bring a smile to Jill’s face when she thinks back on her experience at Snow.

After graduating from Snow, Jill followed her dream and became an accomplished lawyer. She now owns three companies: Coillaw, a family law firm; Moxie Law Group, Utah’s first and only women-led personal injury law firm; and SimpleEnding, an online divorce service. Jill also launched The Coil Foundation with her husband to give back to her community by helping people recognize their value and understand that “reaching opportunity starts first with a bit of courage.”

In addition to her work as a lawyer, Jill recently wrote and released a book titled, No One Dies from Divorce: How to Survive and Thrive When Your Marriage Ends. She also started a podcast with the same title. In addition to reading, Jill’s hobbies include attending Utah Jazz games, skiing, travelling, and spending time with her family. Jill feels that Snow College gave her the best two years of college experience. She stated, “Snow College was probably the best two years of my entire seven-year posthigh school college life. I made more connections and friendships there, that I am still in contact with, than any other time in my life. It truly was a home away from home, and I cherish my time there.”

AlumniSPOTLIGHT

Diego Vanegas Rodrigue Kissou

Diego Vanegas is a native of Colombia and had never really imagined himself leaving his small piece of the world. However, with some encouragement from his mother, Diego’s international journey began when he was selected for an all-expense-paid exchange program to attend high school in Gunnison, Utah for one year.

While at Gunnison High School, Diego won a full-tuition scholarship to Snow College, though he soon realized it would only cover in-state tuition and there was no way he could pay for the out-of-state portion of tuition. After coming to that unfortunate realization and completing his exchange program in Gunnison, Diego returned to Colombia and completed his high school diploma with plans to study at a university in Colombia soon after. Instead, Diego’s mother suggested that he use the scholarship that he was offered to offset the cost of attending Snow for just one semester. Diego decided to do just that. When he received a job as a math tutor shortly after arriving and had a successful first semester, his “one-semester plan” changed, and his family encouraged him to stay for another semester. His family’s encouragement continued, and Diego eventually earned a four-year bachelor’s degree in software engineering in May 2020.

After graduating from Snow, Diego completed a one-year internship with a Utah County tech startup company called ChatFunnels. He was then offered a position at Amazon as a software development engineer and successfully received his H-1B work visa.

When asked what kind of advice he would give to future international students, Diego said, “Even when the chances are against you or the odds are not where you think they should be, just give it a shot. Just try.”

Burkina Faso is a West African country that has experienced political and economic turmoil for more than 20 years with civil wars, military coups, and other struggles. It also happens to be the homeland of Rodrigue Kissou, who began his higher education journey with Snow College in January of 2014.

Rodrigue’s educational journey began as his father— who had completed his Ph.D. in the United States and had a strong belief in higher education—encouraged Rodrigue to pursue a degree in the United States as well. Rodrigue was very hesitant at first but ultimately decided that Snow College would be a good fit for his academic goals. The prestige of Snow College in the area of student success, in addition to the low cost, were some of the factors that drew Rodrigue to the school.

Rodrigue had completed his first semester studying English and was halfway through his second semester in October of 2014 when there was another military coup back home in Burkina Faso. As a result, he lost communication with his family as well as the critical funding he needed from his father. The Center for Global Engagement at Snow College stepped in when they saw the news about Burkina Faso and provided much-needed financial relief. Rodrigue also found a job working at the Registrar’s Office on campus to help make ends meet.

Despite these challenges, during his three years at Snow College, Rodrigue made many contributions to the school. He helped create the French club, served as president of the multicultural club, and received three associate degrees: one each in business, science, and art.

After his graduation from Snow College, Rodrigue continued his education at Weber State University where he earned a bachelor’s degree, and went on to earn a Master of Business Administration degree as well.

When asked what advice he would give to future international students, Rodrigue said, “You always have to have faith. If you make the sacrifices and put in the work, it will all work out.”

AlumniSPOTLIGHT

Eric Dyches Larry Nielson

Eric Dyches attended Snow College from 1995-1996. He then served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Hong Kong. Upon returning, he married Emily Cook Dyches, also a Snow College alum (1995-1997), and together they had five children. After giving birth to their fifth child, Emily suffered from extreme postpartum depression. In 2016, she experienced a severe panic attack while riding in a car on the interstate. She jumped out of the vehicle and ran into oncoming traffic where she was hit by a semitruck, killing her instantly. This tragedy left a huge hole in the Dyches’ life but provided the opportunity to make a true difference. Thus, The Emily Effect was born. The Emily Effect is a non-profit organization, co-founded by Eric Dyches, that provides resources to families and supports women who are suffering from perinatal mood disorders. Eric wants moms to know that they are not alone. The Emily Effect has helped countless women and continues to be an invaluable resource for moms everywhere. In addition to running The Emily Effect, Eric is the owner of Impact HR Group, a small, fractional human resources subcontracting firm. He married Leslie Monroe Huntsman Dyches, another Snow alum (1994-1996), and, combined, the two are proud parents of eight children.

Regarding Snow College, Eric says, “I didn’t stand out at Snow. I was more of a follower than a leader, but I was smart enough to watch those who were the standouts, and I learned from them. This put me on a path that led me to set higher and loftier goals because I wanted to be like the cool and exceptional people I met at Snow. Snow’s closeknit campus allows the student body to get to know many other students. This certainly benefited me as I was able to rub shoulders with so many capable individuals.”

To learn more about The Emily Effect, visit theemilyeffect.org.

At the time, graduating from Snow College in 1956 seemed like a small accomplishment for Larry Nielson, but it proved to be the start he needed to prepare him for a lifetime of incredible achievements. Larry G. Nielson is a long-time Ephraim resident who can best be described as a Renaissance man. His talents include being an accomplished vocalist, artist, author, and photographer, just to name a few.

After attending Snow, Larry graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in both composite music and art. He then served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Samoa, and then moved to Hawaii to continue his education. While there, he became a key member of the team that started the Polynesian Cultural Center, and he was the center’s first art director and theater production manager. After his time in Hawaii, Larry moved to Southern California and began his career as a performer. As a studio singer, Larry had the opportunity to perform on the Carol Burnett Show and perform with Sonny and Cher. He also toured Sweden with the Osmond Brothers and was one of the eight back-up singers who toured with the late Danny Kaye.

Though Larry had a prominent music career, he is best known for his artwork. His unique paintings on weather-beaten barn wood are famous throughout the country and have been featured in many galleries and museums. Celebrities such as Johnny Cash, Liza Minnelli, and former US President George W. Bush own his artwork. Larry’s love for the Polynesian Islands as well as the American West are reflected in his art, which he continues to create from his studio in Ephraim, Utah.

When asked what influence Snow College had on his life, Larry said, “I’ll always be grateful for Snow College. It became a springboard for many remarkable experiences in my life. Most of all, it was the beginning of life-long friendships.”