A New Way of Learning

By Emily Peterson

The events of Spring 2020 had a major impact on Snow College’s students. Instead of returning to their classrooms after Spring Break, most did not return at all. However, the College was not completely vacated, and a small group of students remained on a very empty campus. Commencement, athletics, and other events that are usually part of the college experience were also cancelled. Throughout these changes, students stayed resilient and received support from faculty and staff.

When Snow College administration strongly encouraged students to return home after Spring Break and stay there for the rest Graduates received t-shirts of the semester, most students in on-campus and other gifts in special housing did just that, said Nathan Beck, Resicare packages that were dence Life coordinator of leadership. Beck was mailed to them. impressed at the students’ ability to adjust to a new situation: “Overall, considering how quickly things changed, the students handled things well. We are looking forward to students returning this fall and will have careful plans and processes in place to keep them healthy and safe during this pandemic.”

However, not all students were able to go home, Beck stated. “The majority of our residents [who stayed on campus] had nowhere else to go. For example, many of our international students could not return to their home country due to some of the travel restrictions, or the only flights they were able to book were for several weeks later,”

Agosh Bayramgeldiyev and Durli Hojayeva, both from Turkmenistan, were among approximately 100 students who remained on campus. “I was devastated when I heard that campus was going to close,” said Bayramgediyev.

While Bayramgeldiyev missed socializing with his American and international friends who went home, he found ways to keep busy. “I was trying to spend my time being productive and started learning new languages like Italian and Portuguese. Learning new languages was preferred for my major and plus I had a lot of free time, so I Agosh Bayramgeldiyev, from Turkmenistan, used his extra decided ‘Why not?’” time to learn new languages.

International student Durli Hojayeva (left), from Turkmenistan, was one of about 100 students who remained on campus during the closure, while Shaylee Tippets (right) took online classes from her home in Ephraim.

Hojayeva also felt isolated after most students left. “It felt so lonely and a little bit stressful,” she said. “However, I started talking with my family a lot on the phone and that helped me to overcome my loneliness.” At first, she struggled with the transition to online classes, but said that “I had the best professors, who helped me a lot.”

Students who were closer to home also had to adjust. Shaylee Tippets, who graduated this spring, lives with her family in Ephraim, so her housing situation did not change. However, she still had to get used to online courses. “I have a hard time when I have a lot of distractions at my house,” she said, but she was able to navigate the new learning environment. The switch to online learning also gave her more understanding of the work it takes to teach a course. “I learned to appreciate the professors here at the College a little more. They put in so much time to make sure we were still getting the information [so we could] continue to learn while we were online,” she said.

The physical closure of the College also meant the cancellation of Commencement on both campuses. Based on feedback from a student survey, the College chose to hold a virtual commencement, featuring a brief, online message from President Brad Cook. Graduates also received a special care package in the mail. Employees from multiple departments helped assemble these packages, which included t-shirts, balloons, treats, a graduation program, and more. About 750 packages were mailed out.

During the virtual commencement, President Cook commended students, faculty, and staff, for their efforts during this unprecedented time. He said that “while the last months have disrupted our lives and altered our plans for commencement, COVID-19 does not diminish your accomplishments or define us. But, if anything, it enhances what you have achieved.”

This group of students has gone through a unique experience, and President Cook acknowledged how they can build upon it to address future challenges, saying, “We wish you the very best as you graduate from Snow College with … the understanding that you can adapt to meet the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead of you.”