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Theology department Chair, Professor, and published author Jim Wibberding is adding to his literary collection a new book, Walking with the Pioneers: The Captivating Story of West Coast Adventism. The book explores traditional Adventist beliefs as they enmeshed and clashed with the landscape and culture of 1800s California. Wibberding shares the story of “the second founding of Adventism”—a term coined by his wife, PUC History Professor Laura Wibberding—in the “restless land of the Gold Rush;” a lesser-known story than Adventism’s first institutional center at Battle Creek, Michigan. “The book tells stories of how something Ellen White dubbed ‘California liberality’ and what one critic called ‘Western informality’ stirred changes that were huge gifts to Adventism,” Wibberding shared. “These include innovating worship music in 1877, the 1888 message of righteousness by faith, the first missionary ship, a cadre of women in ministry, the first Black person ordained to Adventist ministry, the first Hispanic Adventist pastor in the U.S., a medical empire, and plenty more.”Wibberding’s inspiration to document the perspective on this region’s Adventist legacy began because he lives and serves on the West Coast, but shifted into a deeper pursuit as he sifted through dusty archives. “West Coast Adventism is unique,” he...

Pacific Union College’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program has again demonstrated its excellence, earning full accreditation and 100% compliance from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) through 2033—the maximum length of time between evaluations.ACEN—which evaluates and accredits nursing education programs based on quality and excellence standards—conducted a thorough, three-day review of PUC’s RN-BSN program the week of March 10. The scheduled visit was the culmination of a year-and-a-half of preparation by the department’s faculty and leadership, spearheaded by Sandra Ringer, director of the RN- BSN program, and Kimberly Dunker, dean of Nursing, Health Science, EMS & Global Health.Dunker emphasized the role of teamwork in achieving these outstanding results. “We could not have done this without the RN to BSN team. This was a true collaboration, with faculty contributing to every part of the process. It’s all about shared governance and having input together. You cannot achieve 100% compliance without having a team like we had—they just rocked it.”ACEN accreditation includes an in-depth review of five key standards, including administrative leadership and resources, faculty qualifications, student support services, curriculum quality, and the program’s effectiveness in preparing graduates for the workforce.In addition to meeting rigorous academic quality standards,...

What began as a promising career in the music industry—complete with a pop-soul album, an international tour, and the pursuit of fame—took a dramatic turn when Tad Worku felt a deeper calling. Now, with a thriving career that blends healthcare, leadership, and music, Tad’s pursuit lies in spreading hope and healing. Tad, a Pacific Union College alum, graduated with a business degree in 2008. “I really enjoyed PUC—all the great friendships forged there,” he shared. “I loved studying business and had a really good experience the first time around.” However, Tad’s true passion was for music. He spent the next several years pursuing a career in the industry, where he thrived, securing a tour spanning locations worldwide and nearly releasing an album. But Tad found himself searching for something more. That search led him back to PUC in 2012 in pursuit of a different career path. He graduated in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. “It was a very intentional decision to come back to school,” he explained. “I returned my tour funding and completely stepped away from the music industry. I asked myself, ‘What’s something I can do where my hands are directly connected to purpose?’ That’s...

From March 22-30, 19 students alongside five nursing faculty and staff from Pacific Union College provided physicals, well visits, and regular physician office and dental care to 311 patients in Mana, Fiji. Students checked patients' vital signs, monitored their glucose levels, and recorded medical history and complaints. With a dentist on duty, students assisted and learned how to give fluoride treatments and educated the community on oral hygiene.Throughout the island, PUC nursing students gave in-home care with a provider to assess their needs. “This is an eye-opening experience as it allows the students to see how the local community lives,” said Sandra Ringer, PUC assistant professor of nursing. “Our lifestyle directly affects our health. It also provides cultural competence as students discover that not everyone lives and functions as we do and then apply health principles that can assist with lifestyle changes. We are not trying to make them live like the Western world, just encouraging healthy surroundings.”While PUC’s nursing department has served in Fiji in past years, this trip was different in a few ways. One of the physicians who has joined these mission trips for the past three years raised $20k to build a medical and dental clinic...

From March 5-8, Pacific Union College hosted nine academies for their music festival, with 171 students participating in the orchestra, choir, and wind ensemble. Schools that attended were:Central Valley Christian AcademyFresno Adventist AcademyLodi AcademyMonterey Bay AcademyParadise Adventist AcademyPleasant Hill Adventist AcademyPUC Preparatory SchoolRio Lindo AcademyUkiah Junior AcademyAfter the visiting students had settled in, the music festival commenced. During the week, students had six hours of rehearsals and sectionals each day preparing for Saturday’s performances.Rachelle Berthelsen Davis, department of music chair and strings director, directed the Festival Orchestra, while Ronnie Zanella, department of music choral director, led the Festival Choir, and Will DeWitt, music teacher at Linda Vista Elementary School, conducted the Festival Wind Ensemble. Professional musicians from the community also coached sectional rehearsals alongside PUC music students, and academy teachers attending the festival.While the primary purpose of the festival was for students to join together through music, the festival also featured its first-ever Showcase Concert: an opportunity for academy musicians to perform from their respective repertoires to show other schools the music they're working on. The Showcase ended with PUC ensembles performing for the academy students. Due to its popularity, PUC's department of music will include this Showcase at future...