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On Father's Day, June 15, 2008, the 317 graduates of the Pacific Union College Class of 2008 marched through the PUC Grove to receive 338 associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees.A beautiful morning greeted visiting family and friends for the ceremonies and for PUC traditions such as the students throwing corn tortillas in celebration and grads mingling with well-wishers under the towering pines.During the program, class president Tadele Worku presented the valedictory, sharing things the class won't forget about PUC, things they gained, and the challenge to make this moment the start of a good story. "Today is not the fairytale ending of our college careers," he said. "It is a fairytale beginning." Worku expressed gratitude for what PUC has meant to the class: "Thank you for giving us the opportunity and environment to continue to dream."College president Richard Osborn also expressed appreciation for several groups, including the students who brought a humanitarian movement called REVO to the PUC campus and raised nearly $10,000 to end human slavery, nursing students who were deployed in the military, student missionaries and task force workers, and student leaders.The commencement address was provided by Eric Anderson, former chair of the PUC history department and current...

Recent grads of Pacific Union College headed into a wide world of options and are making their place in communities around the world. Here's a sampling of destinations and niches.Karen Ong, '06, studied biochemistry at PUC and is now finishing her second year as a fellow with the National Institute of Health. She works in the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) Laboratory of Biological Modeling (LBM). Instead of working with chemicals and fluids, the LBM is all about computers, computations, and using mathematical models to allow mathematicians and biologists to collaborate. Ong is also finishing up a research project on a mathematical model of gene regulation by steroid hormones.Jesse Duarte, '05, is a news reporter for the weekly newspaper of St. Helena, California, just a few minutes down the hill from PUC. When he was younger, Jesse wanted to be a sports writer. But after graduating from PUC with a degree in public relations and journalism and taking a news-reporting job for the St. Helena Star, he discovered a passion for reporting.Nicole Pepper, '06, went on to get her master's in social work. Now she's directing three studies on behavior interventions related to HIV and...

She works with middle school students on the outskirts of Stockholm, Sweden. She travels the United States, Europe and Asia presenting to professionals in her field. She runs her own business on the prevention of depression among teenage girls. Eva-Mari Thomas, ’88, a social worker, keeps a full callendar. Thomas came to the United States from Sweden when she was 19. She finished her bachelor’s degree at PUC and her master’s at Walla Walla, choosing to study social work because, as she says, “I am genuinely interested in people. I like to learn what I can about why people do what they do and how much our environment affects how we act and react to the world around us.” After working in social work in California and Colorado, Thomas and her husband, Dane, att. ’86-‘87, and children Erik and Johanna moved back to Sweden, where she now she fills several roles. She works part-time as a social worker for a middle school, where she meets with individual students and groups and sometimes parents, consults with teachers on ways to handle different situations, and helps school personnel with difficult student situations and in creating action plans to support students academically and...

The third annual Pacific Union College Student Film Festival took to the screen on Thursday, June 5, 2008. Six short films in drama, suspense, music video, science fiction, and documentary were screened — in addition to an extra comedy feature from the archives of film and television instructor Stephen Eyer. The films showcased the work of Aaron Marshall, Marcus Klonek, J.R. Rogers, Blake Penland, Allison Kurtz, Vienna Cornish, Kenneth McMillan, and Craig Church. “This work has been a year-long experience for many of the students,” said Eyer. “They poured heart, soul, and very long hours into these films.” The most extensive of the films was a 25-minute drama by Church, The White Abyss. It was filmed with the innovative new RED digital film camera and professional actors — who also attended the screenings. “I learned a lot of things on this project,” said Church, who worked with a dedicated crew of actors, PUC students and instructors. “The biggest thing anybody gains… is being on a real film scene and not just another class. Taking everything you learned and coming together as a team trying to create this story… It was a big learning experience for me.” This was the second...

There was celebratory atmosphere in and around the Pacific Union College dining commons on May 29. That’s not always what you expect at a health fair, but the “Look Good, Feel Great” fair organized by PUC Health Services found fun, hands-on ways to present very serious, life-changing information. “The focus,” explained Sandra Sargent, director of Health Services, “is to give the college and community exposure to different approaches to health care. It’s not always one-size-fits-all.” The fun side of the event was purposeful, as well. “I like to find a party,” Sargent said. “We need something fun to draw people in.” At the fair, students wandered among 40 indoor and outdoor booths with representatives of local and nationwide organizations, featuring everything from self-defense demonstrations to aromatherapy to a mangled car from a drunk driving wreck. Some students earned attendance credit, participated in prize drawings, or just explored the information and displays. Barbara Pope, director of the Pregnancy Resource Center of Napa Valley, enthusiastically involved students in her interactive display, which included real-size, real-weight dolls of unborn babies. She appreciated the opportunity to be represented among the young community, and added, “It’s been a really good group of people.” Student Garrett...