There were 29 smart, youthful individuals at PUC July 23–28 for the annual PacificQuest program, a summer event for gifted and talented students entering grades 8-10. Designed to challenge students in ways not always possible in typical high school and junior high classrooms, PacificQuest gives these students a chance to learn from PUC professors, earn an hour of college credit, and enjoy recreation and activities with each other.

This year’s theme was “Communicating with Style and Purpose,” and all the students took the core Communication Skills for Young Leaders class, which focused on key communication skills such as decoding nonverbal gestures, being a powerful listener and speaker, and understanding persuasion principles.

Each student also chose an area of emphasis, either “The Physics of Communications” or “Italian Culture and Language.” In the communication physics class, students explored and experimented with various communication techniques from smoke signals to fiber optics, learning historical and physical aspects of how communications are accomplished. The Italian students enjoyed speaking, singing, and eating for their experience of Italian culture. They also had a chance to admire the work of a local Venetian artist, explore local suppliers of olio d’oliva, and learn about soccer, opera, fashion, art and design.