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Senior Kaitlyn Nakanishi has previously been a member of the Student Association at Pacific Union College. With a deep love for the college, she wanted to help make a difference in student鈥檚 social life following the COVID-19 pandemic where so many students were online and campus culture vanished. Motivated by that feeling, she ran for Student Association president last school year and has been serving that role since the start of the 2023-2024 academic year. Nakanishi believes the most important part of her role is facilitating discussions between the administration and students. 鈥淚 want to ensure that PUC continues to be student-centered because that is what initially made me fall in love with this school,鈥� she shared. Being SA president involves many meetings and conversing with different students, which she enjoys. Another important part is ensuring that the many operations of SA run smoothly, providing students with safe spaces to grow socially and spiritually. She loves her SA team and feels blessed to be surrounded by such talented and hardworking individuals.SA executive Vice President Olivia Brown provides Nakanishi with fantastic support; they are often sounding boards for each other. They have had many long talks in their shared office, and...

For more than 140 years, Pacific Union College has been a pillar of education, preparing and supporting students for lives of service and leadership. Many alumni have embarked on remarkable journeys of faith and service, particularly as teachers. Among those educators are two couples who stand out as examples of the enduring impact of Seventh-day Adventist education and mission. In addition to their shared beginnings at PUC and a deep commitment to their faith, these couples have embraced their roles as educators, shaping hearts and minds with a passion driven by their faith in God and an unwavering dedication to excellence. Both couples expressed gratitude to PUC for giving them a strong educational foundation. They attributed their success as teachers to the guidance and mentorship of numerous professors, especially those in the education department, who supported them academically and spiritually.Matt and Kim Bennie work at Redlands Adventist Academy, where they take their responsibility as educators seriously. Each day, they strive to instill a love of Christ in their students.鈥淢y hope is that students feel God鈥檚 love and embrace their true identity of being children of God,鈥� Matt said. 鈥淎s students create in the classroom, we can connect all lessons back...

From February 3-4, PUC on Broadway was showcased at St. Helena High School Performing Arts Center. People braved the winter weather to watch, but the cast believed it was well worth it. PUC on Broadway is the product of people coming together to try something new. The show was a production where performers sang songs from different Broadway musicals. Where a musical has one cohesive plot鈥搕hey took Broadway songs and put them out of context. This musical show is the brainchild of PUC鈥檚 Student Association President Kaitlyn Nakanishi.聽Just two weeks after the Jericho Road musical showcased at the college campus, she put up posters advertising auditions. She invited PUC student Leila Beltran as co-director to help choose songs, coach the performers, and be the musical director. From there, they hit the ground running and created the program. Nakanishi was the co-director, producer, and choreographer for PUC on Broadway. She choreographed every single movement and production of the show. Ronnie Zanella, a PUC music professor, and Mika Palitang, a junior biology and music major, were their accompanists; with Jeremy Hadley and his team as the sound and lighting crew.They held auditions two weeks before Thanksgiving break, had rehearsals in between Thanksgiving...

Dwight Nelson, the longtime Seventh-day Adventist pastor of the Pioneer Memorial Church, recently retired after 40 years there. Yet, retirement hasn鈥檛 dimmed his passion. Instead, he is focused on living on the brink of eternity, the soon return of Jesus, and the undeniable challenges facing America鈥攕pecifically, religious liberty and the dangerous rise of Christian nationalism.鈥淚鈥檓 grateful to be coming to PUC鈥攂ecause I believe young adults are the strategic key to waking America up to this critical moment in history,鈥� Nelson said in an interview. 鈥淲e as a nation are fractured on practically every level of life and culture鈥攔acially, spiritually, economically, politically, socially鈥攁nd I鈥檓 convinced the young are God鈥檚 essential endgame move to bring healing to America.鈥漁n March 1-2, Pacific Union College hosted the Northern California Conference鈥檚 (NCC) annual Religious Liberty Summit. The event centered on three powerful messages from Nelson and breakout workshops featuring several prominent presenters, including two Superior Court judges, a community organizer, the chief of staff for a California state senator, and a historian. The weekend event culminated in a panel discussion, fostering thought-provoking conversations on pressing religious liberty issues.NCC has sponsored religious liberty events for several years鈥攖hree annually on this vital cause. These include the spring...

Pacific Union College recently announced that it received state approval for a new nursing training partnership with Adventist Health Sonora. The PUC education center will further the college's goals of growing its nursing program and help meet the rising need for highly qualified healthcare professionals in the Tuolumne County area.聽鈥淚n order to expand nursing education to rural areas, hospitals must partner with nursing schools,鈥� said Kimberly Dunker, dean of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences at PUC. 鈥淏ecause of the long-standing history between our Adventist organizations, we are able to not only partner but share the same values and beliefs for nursing education and talent acquisition.鈥漈he Associate Degree of Nursing (ADN) program will be open to Adventist Health employees and prospective students in the area looking to move into the nursing field. Pre-nursing classes will begin in April. The nursing program will commence in September.The California Board of Registered Nurses (BRN) and the Education Licensing Committee (ELC) approved the addition of 18 students to PUC鈥檚 nursing program at the Sonora site. This hard-won achievement results from a two-year collaborative effort by PUC and Adventist Health to establish a new nursing education center in an underserved area. Though California will...

Thanks to two recent grants, Pacific Union College鈥檚 Department of Visual Arts will begin this spring to construct a new and innovative media center.The Tonge Media Center in Fisher Hall will house an advanced audio and video studio with state-of-the-art technology and equipment. The center will provide high-quality video and audio production access to the entire campus community. Other components of the center will include an office, kitchen, dressing room, and various equipment storage rooms.The primary objective of The Tonge Media Center is to offer film majors invaluable hands-on experience with the latest technology and methods. The center also addresses a longstanding need at PUC for a streamlined content creation process.鈥淭he Tonge Media Center will allow Fisher Hall to become the heart of all media created and produced on PUC鈥檚 campus,鈥� said Rajeev Sigamoney, chair of the visual arts department. 鈥淣ot only will film students in visual arts benefit from the state-of-the-art technology, but every department, student, and employee on campus will have the ability to create and publish professional-level media with much greater ease than in the past.鈥滿any other PUC departments frequently seek to produce polished videos for their web pages or social media platforms. Until now, they鈥檝e had...

Pacific Union College alumni Andrew Fay, Drielly Martins, and Eva Yankee, all biology graduates, are currently pursuing medical education at Loma Linda University School of Medicine. They attribute their early success in medical school to the solid foundation established during their time at PUC.Each one praised the guidance and educational support provided by PUC鈥檚 biology department and professors and said their courses equipped them with the necessary skills and knowledge they would need to navigate the challenges of medical school.The three students graciously answered questions and shared valuable advice for current PUC students regarding study habits and personal growth.What inspired you to pursue a career in medicine?Drielly Martins, originally from S茫o Paulo, Brazil, attended Centro Universit谩rio Adventista de S茫o Paulo. Her interest in medicine was kindled in high school during a biology class when they studied the human body. 鈥淚 was also drawn to a career in health care for the opportunity to serve others,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 specifically chose to pursue an MD degree because of the more intensive training and learning that comes with being a physician.鈥滱ndrew Fay grew up in Redlands, California, and attended Redlands East Valley High School. He said his grandfather, a neurologist, influenced him...

Sean Brizendine鈥檚 path toward the ministry had an unexpected beginning鈥攁 treasure hunt at Pacific Union College.In 2007, a campus-wide email presented Sean with an intriguing challenge: "Find the Top 20 Reasons To Be a Student Missionary and Receive $20." The task was straightforward鈥攍ocate all the reasons scattered around PUC's campus, then present them at the chaplain's office.Sean wasted no time. He dashed from building to building, meticulously searching until he found all the reasons and wrote them down鈥攗ltimately clinching the prize as the first to complete the mission.As he claimed his reward from then-PUC Chaplain Anita Davies, a question lingered in Sean鈥檚 mind. 鈥溾�榊ou鈥檝e kind of piqued my curiosity,鈥欌�� Sean recalled saying, 鈥淲hat do I need to do to become a student missionary?鈥滵avies explained that he would need to complete a required form and be a Seventh-day Adventist.Sean was captivated by the proposition. He was a devout Christian who believed in the seventh-day Sabbath and attended PUC, but he was not a Seventh-day Adventist.Sean grew up in Modesto, California. His parents had Adventist backgrounds, met at Andrews University, and married in the Alpena Seventh-day Adventist Church. However, they later left the church after enduring several trials, including the loss of...

In the realms of professional sports, health care, education, and beyond, learning and the pursuit of knowledge are constant. Whether it involves embracing new techniques, adopting fresh strategies, or seeking improvement, the journey toward personal development and excellence remains ongoing.Pacific Union College鈥檚 Student Success Center, formerly known as the Teaching and Learning Center (TLC), is committed to providing personalized support and enrichment for every student. Its primary mission is to aid students in discovering, exploring, and building upon their God-given, unique strengths and gifts鈥攏ot only in academics but holistically, across all facets of their lives.The newly appointed director of the Student Success Center is Kharolynn Pascual Smith. With extensive experience as an educator and advisor, Pascual Smith brings a multifaceted perspective to her leadership, further building upon the groundwork laid by the TLC. Her vision and commitment focus on reshaping the role of the center and enhancing its impact on the diverse needs of PUC鈥檚 student body. Pascual Smith, who previously served as PUC鈥檚 director of orientation, transition, and retention, said her passion for Adventist education is the message of grace and the truth about God鈥檚 design and purpose for each life. 鈥淥ur value is not outside of ourselves. We...

Throughout the years, Pacific Union College has been blessed by the powerful messages of pastors and guest speakers during special events such as week of prayer and vespers. But Student Week of Worship holds a unique significance, allowing students to speak authentically from their hearts to their peers.From Jan. 22-26, PUC hosted its annual Student Week of Worship in the PUC Church and Paulin Hall. This year, five students representing different years and majors shared testimonies and reflections on the college鈥檚 overarching theme of the school year, 鈥淎ll In.鈥漈he daily services began with Campus Chaplain Arturo Lopez warmly welcoming students, followed by student praise bands leading out in song. Most days, the student speaker was given a gracious introduction from a friend or peer.On the first day, freshman theology major Jacob Duran delivered a heartfelt message titled 鈥淲hat Do You Hold in Your Hand?鈥� He began by asking students to reflect on how they respond to calls from friends, then transitioned to the profound question of how they respond to the call of God. Drawing parallels from the stories of Jonah and Moses, Duran explored their different responses to God鈥檚 calling. He then shared his own story of answering the...