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The typical college student is up by eight o'clock in the morning, in class by nine, works a few hours, studies, and even manages to squeeze in some hefty socializing before falling into bed sometime near midnight. If only Colleen Daniels could have had it so easy. Two years ago she went back to school, and her life went from full to overflowing. A single mother, Colleen was working 40-plus hours and raising two children. Between work and driving her kids to cheerleading practices, karate, and boy scouts, her life was hectic enough without adding the stress of midterms and papers. Returning to school was an inconceivable option. That is, until three years ago. After 25 years of working in a dental office, Colleen thought she might be ready for a change. After looking into several possibilities she discovered that few businesses were willing to hire someone without a bachelor's degree. "I realized that as long as I didn't finish college, where I was in my career was as far as I could go," says Colleen. "I wanted more from my life." Determined to finish college, Colleen enrolled in a degree completion program that offered Thursday evening classes. It was...

Two years ago Verlyn Benson, associate professor of Technology at Pacific Union College, hunted for graduate schools, searching for a university that would not only offer a strong technology program but also a graduation ceremony on a day other than the Sabbath. "I did not participate in my Master's ceremony because it took place on the Sabbath," says Benson. "So it was one of the things I looked for." To his surprise, the University of Northern Iowa bulletin listed a Friday graduation during the summer. Days after he enrolled, the school's decision to cancel summer commencement exercises was announced. The remaining two ceremonies would proceed on Saturdays. When it came time to select a graduate studies committee, Benson carefully surveyed the possibilities before choosing Dr. Ervin Dennis as the committee chair and his advisor. But Benson let it be known that there was a special clause that accompanied his request. "I knew it was an honor for the advisor to confer the degree during graduation," says Benson. "But I told him that would not be possible with me, since I am a Seventh-day Adventist." Although disappointed, Dr. Dennis replied that it would not stop him from chairing the committee. Over...

PUC began its 117th academic year, not only with a new class of freshmen, but with changes in the administration as well. After 16 years of serving as the vice president for financial administration, Tom Hopmann announced his retirement last spring. John Collins was recently invited to be Hopmann's replacement. Collins, an alumnus of PUC, came to the college in 1988 to work as the vice president of student administration and enrollment management. In turn, Lisa Bissell Paulson, who came to PUC in 1995 as vice president of public relations, took the place of Collins, becoming vice president for student services, public relations, and enrollment. Along with overseeing the PUC's public relations office, Paulson is also responsible for all campus life outside of the classroom. Hopmann will continue to work part-time, focusing on special projects for the President....

Sonia Barajas is doing something no one in her family has ever done before. She is going to college. A pre-med student, Barajas is majoring in biology at Pacific Union College, an accomplishment which has distinguished her in her family and has also earned her a $5,000 Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship.By attending Pacific Union College, Barajas is fulfilling a life-long dream. "I wanted to attend a university since I was a little girl," she says. "I noticed that none of my family members went to a university, so I wanted to break that chain." Barajas' parents are Adventist immigrants from Mexico. She says that they have always worked very hard as farm workers, but have only received very low wages.It is for low-income Latino families like her own that Barajas is attending school.Barajas is planning to return to the Latino community with her bilingual skills and a medical degree. For her, practicing medicine is not about an income but about a ministry. She is willing to talk about the nice house and comfortable life that many of her classmates will obtain, but she carefully points out, "Giving to people is something I would like better. God has something for everybody......

During the annual Career Day colloquy at Pacific Union College, Alan Nakanishi, Assemblyperson for California’s Tenth Assembly District, reminded students that the key to success is to trust in God’s leading. “You and I serve a powerful God. If he can take a poor boy from the ghettos of Sacramento to PUC to Loma Linda to the halls of the state capital, then he can do more for you,” said Nakanishi, who was the special guest speaker at the event. Nakanishi shared his own career journey, which started at PUC nearly fifty years ago. He had just graduated from high school and was contemplating whether he should attend the local university in Sacramento or PUC. “My family couldn’t afford for me to be at PUC. But I had a conviction that God wanted me to be at a Christian college,” he said. So at 17 years old, Nakanishi enrolled at PUC with just enough money to last one quarter and the determination to be a doctor. Nakanishi managed to stay the entire year. To earn money for college, he cleaned classrooms, bussed tables, sold books door to door, and worked as a lab instructor. Each fall, he wondered if he...