From February 22 to 23, Pacific Union College’s School of Sciences and Loma Linda University Schools of Dentistry, Pharmacy, and Allied Health held STEM and health profession workshops for 75 students from Monterey Bay Academy, Mountain View Academy, Lodi Academy, and PUC Preparatory.

Hosted on PUC’s campus, academy students had the great opportunity to participate in workshops focused on careers in STEM, physical therapy, dentistry, pharmacy, and psychology. In each workshop, these students gained hands-on, engaging experiences learning from PUC and LLU professionals and faculty. For both days, they were divided into three groups, rotating through three workshops. Students from PUC’s School of Sciences also played a big part in the workshop, working with the academy students and ensuring they had a fun and educational time.

Starting off the two-day event, President of Adventist Health St. Helena and Adventist Health Vallejo, Dr. Steven Herber, opened with his keynote address. Also a PUC and LLU alumnus, he shared the connections he began to make in high school, then in college, and later in professional school, that helped lead him to the career positions that paved the way to his current positions. Crediting his educational experience and dedication to staying curious and being as involved as possible, the hope is that students will feel inspired and boost their curiosity throughout the workshops, motivating them toward their own career paths.

Beginning the workshops, LLU School of Pharmacy Dean Kyle Sousa and Student Services Dean Willie Davis, with assistance from PUC Chemistry Chair Kent Davis and Professor Marie Pak, led a workshop instructing the students to prepare antiseptic solutions they had made for the entire LLU campus during COVID, in which students were able to take a sample home. One student shared that it was the most hands-on workshop, providing the most information and career options.

During the microbiology session, PUC School of Sciences Dean Aimee Wyrick instructed students to examine microbial samples from hand swabs before and after applying hand sanitizers to assess the role and efficacy of alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Assisted by PUC Biology Chair Dr. John Duncan and PUC Biology Professors Dr. Backil Sung and Brian Ness, they had students count how many colonies grew and examined the different colony characteristics by the variety of organisms, with the effectiveness of the hand sanitizer determined by noticing the decrease in the number of colonies grown after applying hand sanitizer.

Throughout the engineering workshop, students explored design and material elements in buildings to reduce the spread of pathogens. From learning about the engineering design process from PUC Math and Physics Chair James Robertson, they developed a product for schools to use to control the spread of germs.

From the Physical Therapy Department at LLU, Dr. Wes Swen and Dr. Jeremy Hubbard, with PUC Kinesiology Professors Matt Evens and Wayne Borin, introduced several specialty practices and incorporated experiential activities evaluating lower body strength, gait, and balance using ply boxes, which gave students the chance to experience procedures and evaluate results for cardiovascular fitness through a step test. Dr. Swen and Dr. Hubbard also informed students about their aide program for those interested.

For the dentistry workshop, LLU’s School of Dentistry Assistant Director Marlise Perry taught good dental hygiene by having students apply dye to their teeth to show tartar and plaque buildup. Their assistant director of admissions and recruitment, AnneMarie Vixie, helped lead dental sessions, then later gave students a tooth care bag. For the psychology session, PUC’s Chair of Psychology and Social Work, Damaris Perez, taught the differences between fears and phobias, and students explored these concepts through a case study and learned how to treat them.

Students shared they greatly enjoyed hands-on learning that helped them gain a better education experience, learn from different professionals, and open their eyes to the different science and health professions. Outside of workshops, PUC and LLU also organized a game night and contest, where students were placed in teams to race through the school of sciences and complete tasks relevant to each department, such as identifying bones, performing a titration, and assembling legos.

For academy students to get an undergraduate perspective, four PUC students from the school of sciences shared their college experience then answered questions from the audience. LLU and PUC also held a College Fair for the high school students to network and have the opportunity to meet representatives from several programs.

While structuring this collaborative workshop, both institutions shared a purpose: to create an experience where students could enjoy learning while engaging in hands-on science in a meaningful way. By bringing professionals and educators from several academic corners from PUC and LLU, they gave academy students the opportunity to see different science and health profession pathways they can do now in high school, while preparing for during their undergraduate education, and training them for their future careers–bridging higher education and professional careers, allowing them to build their curiosity in the careers they wish to pursue and see how exciting it can be.

“Our goal was to spark curiosity, introduce new concepts, and open doors to fields students may never have considered,” said Wyrick. “We wanted participants to recognize the connections between what they learn in the classroom and the real-world problems scientists and clinicians work to solve. Just as importantly, we aimed to create a space where students felt comfortable asking questions, exploring ideas, and discovering possibilities.”

Wyrick hopes to inspire students' aspirations and careers through the PUC and LLU STEM and Health Professions Workshop Through the many successes of the workshop, the next one will be winter 2027. Although space is limited, registration is open to all Adventist academies and high schools in Napa County.