SUU Helped Marlyn King Nay Fulfill Her Lifelong Dream

Marlyn King Nay, a native of Antimony, Utah, and Richfield High School graduate, loves and respects Southern Utah University because of help she received in fulfilling her lifelong dream of becoming an elementary school teacher.

Growing up in the small farming community of Antimony, Marlyn wasn’t sure her four-year college degree would ever be possible or affordable. Following high school graduation, she attended a junior college, earned an associate degree in general studies and married her high school sweetheart, Lance Nay. The couple moved to Salt Lake City so Lance could finish his education, and then they moved back to Richfield and began their family, which includes three children: Chase, Larissa, and Colton. When her children were of school age, Marlyn began helping at a local elementary school and was eventually named as an instructional assistant at Ashman Elementary School. 

But her desire to be a school teacher never faded. After working at Ashman Elementary for a few years, Marlyn learned of a somewhat nontraditional path to earning a four-year degree: SUU professors would travel to Richfield to teach, and at other times students would make the trip to SUU for classes on campus. Noting that “SUU is very well respected and has an excellent reputation in Sevier County,” she jumped at the opportunity and met with representatives from the University who mapped out her course work which led to a bachelor’s degree in elementary education in 1999. She was so impressed with her undergraduate experience that five years later she earned a master’s degree in education.

Like many alumni, one of Marlyn’s fondest memories of SUU is of the people. “The professors at SUU were so good to me. They went above and beyond to help me obtain my bachelor’s degree. They want to see the students succeed. They understood my needs and helped me achieve my goal,” she says.

She fondly remembers both of her commencement ceremonies and the unpredictable Cedar City spring weather. It rained at both ceremonies and she was grateful for the friendly and warm confines of the Centrum Arena. Another of Marlyn’s favorite aspects of SUU is the beautiful campus, it buildings and how the University respects and maintains the history of campus.  

Marlyn is now in her 20^th year of teaching first grade at Ashman and says of her role as teacher, “Children need multiple opportunities to grow with positive character traits representing the person that they are and the person they can become as a positive contributor to society.”

Principal Jill Porter says that Marlyn is a wonderful teacher and adds, “She has a passion for teaching, a strong content knowledge and a true love for her children!”

Marlyn enjoys spending time with family, particularly her five grandchildren, playing games and cooking. She also readily shares her philosophy of life: “If you want to do something, you can find a way to do it!” SUU certainly played a key role in that philosophy for Marlyn.