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Pacific Union College is proud to have been recognized by multiple organizations for providing exceptional return on investment in rankings that identify the colleges where degrees pay off the most. The recent rankings confirm that the college is fulfilling its mission of providing an excellent and affordable Christian undergraduate education that prepares students for a lifetime of service in the career of their choice. In July, Affordable Colleges Online (AC Online) ranked PUC 22nd out of over 767 California colleges and universities, including private institutions and state schools, analyzed for return on investment (ROI). The ranking demonstrates that students who graduate from PUC enjoy a greater earnings gap than students without a four-year degree; PUC’s placement in the top three percent shows that its alums earn more on average than graduates from most California colleges. AC Online’s ranking is based on net tuition prices and graduate’s average starting salary, and used criteria from national sources such as the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and Integrated Post-Secondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Further recognition came in September, when PayScale, a provider of compensation data, ranked PUC in the top 15 percent of colleges on its national 2013 College Education ROI Rankings;...

During the week of October 6, PUC welcomed Pastor Jose Rojas to campus as the speaker for Fall Revival, an annual week of spiritual emphasis. Pastor Rojas, a PUC alum and acclaimed speaker, inspired and electrified the student body for a solid week, leaving many individuals with the new resolution to devote more of their time to ministry and missions. Rojas delivered weeknight sermons before concluding with a special vespers on Friday night and two church services the following morning. The well-attended weeknight meetings followed the theme of “Believing God,” while the special vespers and church services were focused on the missionary aspect of one’s Christian journey. The special Friday night vespers was streamed live to 532 viewers around the globe. Rojas communicated how belief in God is one of the most important steps on one’s spiritual journey. He shared how this belief can be the catalyst to success in faith, school, health, and relationships. Using inspirational stories and emphatic examples, Pastor Rojas punched one point repeatedly: “First, you must believe!” Rojas also makes a habit of singing at the end of each of his sermons, concluding his message with a unique touch. Rojas emphasized the deep importance of missionary...

Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Martin Doblmeier, creator of over 25 films and owner of Journey Films, visited Pacific Union College on October 10 to address students at the Adventist Heritage installment of the Colloquy Speaker Series. Introduced by President Heather J. Knight as a “non-Adventist who is interested in how faith builds extraordinary beliefs and communities,” Doblmeier first visited PUC in 2012 to present his film The ADVENTISTS, a documentary that focuses on Adventists’ work in healthcare. Though he did not intend to pursue further projects about Adventists, his next film The ADVENTISTS 2, looks at Adventism’s international healthcare ministry. “The documentary explores the idea of how Adventism is a story of how people go to the far corners and take medical missions over the world,” Doblmeier told the students, staff, and faculty gathered in the PUC Church. After showing a short clip of the film, Doblmeier told students about his approach to religion, faith, and spirituality. He began by saying, “I find myself looking for God through the people of this world… this is my mission.” Doblmeier continued by describing how Christians can tend to force others into religion through “religious arrogance.” He explained that we should rather have our...

Pacific Union College’s women’s volleyball team has won three straight league matches and seven matches in a row. On Saturday, October 12, the Pioneers closed out the visiting Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Univeristy Eagles in three sets: 25-14, 25-22, and 26-24. The team is 13-6 overall and 3-2 in California Pacific Conference (Cal Pac) play. The Pioneers started off set one dominating behind tough serving and multiple unforced errors by the visiting Eagles. They jumped out to an early 13-5 lead and continued on that path to 19-9. The Eagles ended the game going on a 4-0 run, but it wasn't enough to come back as the Pioneers took the set 25-14. The Eagles turned things around in set two and took the Pioneers off balance with a dominating 18-8 lead. After a timeout by head coach Brittany Brown, the Pioneers went on two service runs by Kailey Faust and Sarah Cusick who served 3 aces, bringing the Pioneers back within one point at 19-20. The Eagles and Pioneers exchanged points to 22-22, but the Pioneers put three balls away to take set two 25-22. In the final set, the Pioneers and Eagles battled back and forth 14-14, 21-21, and 24-24. With...

Senior history major Erika Weidemann grew up listening to her grandmother’s stories of her childhood as a German refugee in Europe. During her junior year at PUC, Weidemann, a dedicated scholarship-hunter, ran across an essay contest sponsored by the Germans from Russia Heritage Society. The winning essay would be printed in the society’s publication, and the author would receive a $1000 scholarship. During Christmas break, Weidemann submitted an essay to the international contest. While the academic paper included historical facts about the life of German refugees after World War II, it also became a way for Weidemann to share her grandmother’s experiences with the rest of the world. Her essay snagged first place in the contest, to the delight of Weidemann, her peers, and her professors in the department of history. Weidemann’s essay, formatted in the style of a journal, includes entries comprised of her grandmother’s experiences. Although her grandmother didn’t keep a personal diary, Weidemann adapted the stories her grandmother told her into short entries. Born in the Ukraine, Weidemann’s grandmother and her family were evacuated from their home when the German army retreated during World War II. They were put on trains and sent to different resettlement camps...