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After five years, the Young Observatory at Pacific Union College reopened and added new facilities, including a newly installed telescope. Through the generosity of a donor, those funds were used to purchase a new telescope, a handheld computer to use the older telescope, and parts to restore the original observatory telescope, which were needed to reopen the observatory. The new telescope is a 12-inch Celestron reflector mounted on a tripod, currently set up in the observatory parking lot, but since it runs on a battery, it can be set up anywhere, whether at PUC or elsewhere.The new telescope will be used for ASTR 115, an introductory astronomy course taught every year. Since it's set up in the parking lot, it can serve many more people during group visits, unlike the older telescope inside the observatory, which has an occupancy limit. This past fall quarter, hundreds of visitors have already enjoyed the newly opened observatory, which will also welcome back public Friday night observations this spring and summer.PUC Chair of Math and Physics James Robertson feels “thrilled and relieved” to finally have the observatory open again. “Thrilled to be able to have a working facility for both my classes and the...

Freshman pre-nursing major and student-athlete Liah Ronneburg is a bright blue-eyed Maxwell Scholar who walks around campus with a vision to make a difference with every stride. Passionate about people, she foresees involvement in the school, church, and community as she prepares to become a nurse who embodies the love of Christ.Sonora-based Ronneburg stated that she was instantly drawn to Pacific Union College because of her strong Seventh-day Adventist beliefs and her love for soccer and Northern California, so choosing PUC was a natural choice for her.“I want to be able to look back and be proud of my time here at PUC. I want to say that I made a difference in not just my life, but other people’s lives as well,” said Ronneburg as she was asked about her goal as she foresees the next four years. “I also want to try my best to always be a type of support for my community. I want to help make it better and be there at its lowest.”Prior to joining PUC from Sonora High School, she was not only an achiever of determination and excellence, but a four-year, three-sport athlete with a 4.0 GPA.Behind her accolades, Ronneburg held herself...

In June, Pacific Union College proudly celebrated all 20 students in the first set of North Coast graduates, of whom 17 began the associate degree in nursing (ADN) and three enrolled in the licensed vocational nurse (LVN) to registered nurse (RN) track. Among the graduates, five students were from Clearlake, two from Fort Bragg, and the remaining from Ukiah and Willits.For the past two years, PUC has partnered with Adventist Health North Coast to create this unique nursing program for students to learn in facilities in Clearlake, Fort Bragg, and Willits, allowing them to complete the majority of their clinical hours at their local hospital, which reduces long commutes, minimizes the challenge of adapting to multiple clinical environments and electronic health record systems, and awards needed time to focus on developing critical thinking and clinical judgement skills. Since most of the students work full-time, planning the classroom portion on weekends gives them greater access to balance their professional and personal responsibilities. With resources from Adventist Health, nursing students received the support they needed to access facilities, technology, and mentorship to succeed.In addition, this partnership moves to a seamless transition from education to employment, with opportunities for immediate placement after graduation....

Recently, Pacific Union College was gratefully awarded grants of $59,987 for the M.A. in Communication and $74,041 for the Aviation Program, respectively, by the Archie Tonge Education Fund.The first grant will support the new Master of Arts in Communication, a fully online, 43-credit program designed for working professionals who will be prepared for leadership roles in healthcare, ministry, and mission-driven organizations, among others. On a broader scale, this degree will fulfill the market’s demand for roles such as public relations specialists, health services managers, digital media and marketing managers, as well as opportunities in the nonprofit sectors, global missions, and church ministries.PUC’s M.A. in Communication is the only entirely online, professionally focused degree offered within the Adventist higher education system, directly addressing unmet student demand and workforce needs and aligning with PUC’s commitment to developing ethical, Christ-centered leaders for service.These funds will help support various areas within the program, including course and program development, faculty support, including adjunct instructors, administrative support, marketing and student recruitment, and technology and digital tools.The second grant awarded to PUC will help support the Aviation Program’s remarkable turnaround and success over the last few years through God’s blessings and the dedicated efforts of Nathan Tasker,...

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...