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From November 14 to 17, Pacific Union College welcomed 16 academies from across California and one from Florida for its annual College Days.Approximately 300 high school students from Walker Memorial Academy, Loma Linda Academy, La Sierra Academy, San Diego Academy, San Fernando Valley Academy, Rio Lindo Adventist Academy, Armona Union Academy, Fresno Adventist Academy, Pine Hills Adventist Academy, Central Valley Christian Academy, Central Valley Christian Academy-Sonora, Lodi Academy, Monterey Bay Academy, Mountain View Academy, Sacramento Adventist Academy, PUC Prep, and Redding Adventist Academy were all greeted by PUC Executive Assistant and Enrollment Counselor Andrianna Massena and PUC students with snacks, dorm necessities, and shirts.College Days at PUC are nothing short of eventful. Massena’s enrollment team works with Student and Spiritual Life and the campus pastors, professors, and students to ensure visiting students, chaperones, and parents get the most out of the PUC experience in four days.Academy students get a glimpse of all the benefits PUC can offer, from academics to social and spiritual life. Their experience entailed attending a variety of classes across the nursing, science, art, humanities, and professional programs, and meeting the professors during the academic and service fair after each class. They also had the chance to...

The Pacific Union College biology department is proud to announce that its student education and monitoring program for grebes, also known as aquatic diving birds, has been fully funded by the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) in November 2025.Scientist in Residence Dr. Scott Butterfield leads this program alongside Biology Professor Dr. Floyd Hayes and Chair of the School of Sciences, Aimee Wyrick. Together, they will collaborate and engage with PUC and Lake County high school students to participate in this novel scientific monitoring project, where they will use drones and AI to study the recovery of Clear Lake’s ecosystems.“Our hope is that by building a monitoring program collaboratively with local high school students that is grounded in new and emerging technologies, we can create something that is sustainable for many years to come,” said Dr. Butterfield.After being approved by the Blue Ribbon Committee for the Rehabilitation of Clear Lake, the department received the full funding of $288,988 and officially launched the project with CNRA in November 2025. The project is valid until June 2028.While the department waited for the funding’s approval, they have been diligently working to establish partnerships with the Redbud Audubon Society, Upper Lake High School, Lower Lake...

My shoe strikes something hard and flat in the ashen dirt. I kick aside the crushed leaves and dust, then bend down to brush them clean with my hands. It reads, “Henry Louis Guerne”. That’s not him. A family of deer watches us through the mid-morning chill as we disrupt their tranquil cemetery, unearthing fallen headstones and inspecting those that still stand. “W. S. Kellogg.” Much closer. Maybe he is buried in a family plot. “Francis Elizabeth Kellogg.” Further down the hill, I saw a “Chester Kellogg”. But, no “Merritt Gardner Kellogg”. I rounded the following plot.I have been asking after this grave for three years now. No one seems to know where it is. Some historians say it is lost to history. Some say it could be in Australia. A year ago, I found an obituary that listed his burial at Oak Mound Cemetery in Healdsburg, California. I thought that was a big find, but an optimistic family outing ended with “no card on file for a Merritt Kellogg.”Why does Merritt G. Kellogg matter to me? It is not his link to the Corn Flakes King, though W. K. Kellogg was his kid brother. It is not about his...

Throughout his 31 years at AdventHealth, becoming CEO of a major health system was not necessarily a role David Banks aspired to hold — but his leadership roles in hospital administration, divisional oversight, and as chief strategy officer prepared him well when the CEO opportunity emerged. For Banks, the timing aligned with where he was in life and career — and where the organization was heading.“I'm really grateful to work with a mission-driven Board of Directors and AdventHealth team, and to have the partnership of our sponsor organization, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, within our mission to extend the healing ministry of Christ through whole-person care," said Banks. "For me and many others at the organization, I see the ways Adventist education prepared us for today's work, which requires a strong foundation."Banks regularly meets with leaders, caregivers, the Board, and team members in the service of AdventHealth's mission. He invests time connecting with church sponsors, who are an essential part of AdventHealth, and talks with team members to ensure the company is advancing its mission, meeting industry needs, and advocating for those they serve who need access to care, ranging from rural to more populated communities.Originally from Sonora, CA, Banks immersed...

Holding these titles is very special and significant for PUC, especially for the women’s team, which placed in the conference despite having a hard time having a whole team last year. While the team’s season came to a close, three students moved on to the National Association of Intercollegiate (NAIA) at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, FL, on Friday, November 21, breaking personal records.Senior Andrea Maidan and freshman Manami Uyeyama advanced for the women’s team, leading the 6K race, with Maidan speeding to first, finishing in 25:02.78, over three and a half minutes ahead of the other 28 racers, and Uyeyama soaring in right after Maidan in second place with a winning time of 28:37.91. Both new to the team this year, they earned spots in the national qualifying round.Representing the men’s team was senior Andrew Baluyot, who came in sixth place in 31:32.07, and was the only non-Simpson University student to qualify for Nationals. Baluyot earned a spot on the CalPac All-Conference Team and was awarded the league's Champion of Character Award alongside Maiden, who was the CAL-PAX Cross Country Solo Champion. He was also celebrated by representing PUC on the CalPac All-Academic Team as a chemistry major with...