Distinguished Alumnus: Sampei Nakao

By Alex Peterson

Sampei “Sam” Nakao, a 2020 Distinguished Alumnus, was one of Snow College’s first international students when he arrived in 1966. He heard about the college through missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whom he met in Osaka, Japan. He decided he wanted to go to Snow because it provided the right environment for learning English and having personal living experiences to help him overcome cultural differences. Sam eventually finished an associate degree from Snow College and then a bachelor’s degree from Utah State University.

When asked about first arriving at Snow College, Sam reported: “I arrived in Ephraim late at night a few days before the first quarter began by a bus from Salt Lake City, and I then stayed at a hotel near the bus station. My new life in Ephraim began with exciting dreams in my mind. I woke up the next morning and decided to walk around the town. When I walked around the town, there was only one traffic light, one post office, one hotel where I stayed, and one grocery store. Honestly, I began to wonder how I could survive in this city for two years.”

Sam said that his attitude changed once he stepped on the Snow College campus. “If I think about it now, this moment became the first day of me becoming a member of a big family with the people of Snow College and Ephraim. Every person I associated with and met at the campus and in Ephraim was so friendly and accepted me

Sam and his son Tomohei in 1995, at his family's summer home in Nagano.

Sam and his daughter, Uta, in Honolulu in 1974.

as a family member, not as a Japanese person who did not even speak the language.”

Life in a small town without English language skills was not easy. Sam did not understand much of the material and spent countless hours memorizing vocabulary, studying concepts, and asking professors for help. After a terrible exam score, he visited his economics professor to get some advice. “I was so depressed, but I decided to see Professor [Halbert] Jensen for his help. He was so nice, kind, and open-minded to suggest to me to come to see him in his office every day after class and so I did. He then highlighted key points for the class and taught me how to read and study at a U.S. college. As a result, with his help and advice, I passed the final examination and received credits for the economics class. His advice helped me not only for other classes but also lasted me for a long time, including my business career.”

While at Snow, Sam joined the baseball team. He played local games and traveled to A rizona for away games. He also organized the first international club at Snow College, participated in dances, and made many friends during extracurricular activities. During the club activities, he prepared international food and music to show the differences between cultures. Sam also worked part time at a local turkey farm, where he woke up early to feed the birds. “I learned a lot about work there,” he said.

After graduating from USU in 1970, Sam worked at an international accounting firm in their Tokyo, Los Angeles, and Honolulu offices. During this time, he became the first Japanese citizen to become a Certified Public

Accountant in the United States. He then returned to Japan and has been very successful acting as a bridge between businesses in Japan and the United States.

Sam and his wife, Mitsuko, first met in high school and will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in 2021. They have a daughter named Uta (Utah), two sons, Tomohei (Tom) and Renzo (Renny), and two grandchildren.

Sam has a few words of advice for current and future students: “If I went to a large university either on the east or west coasts, I would not have been exposed to U.S. culture and English as I did at Snow and Ephraim. It is good to see your own country from the ‘outside’ when you are young. But it is very important to identif y the right place for living and clarif y requirements for education. Living life in Ephraim was very simple but the people at Snow and in Ephraim were warm, caring , and kind to a foreign student. They still are. Like baseball, it is better to warm up before jumping to a major league. Snow College helped me in so many ways for my future life.”

Sampei Nakao, from Japan, was one of Snow College's first international students.

Sam with Harumafuji, grand champion of traditional Japanese sumo wrestling.