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Herb Ford was enjoying lunch at Panera Bread when a stranger noticed his veteran’s hat and reached for his arm. “You’ve got to go on the next Honor Flight!” the man urged. Ford admitted he hadn’t heard of the honor flights before, but once the man explained, he responded, “I’ll think about it.” In September, Ford and 67 other veterans flew on the 26th Central Valley Honor Flight from Fresno, California, to Washington, D.C., to visit memorials honoring their military service. The Central Valley Honor Flight is a nonprofit organization that holds fundraisers to pay for veterans to be honored on a memorable trip–including round-trip airfare, a two-night stay at a first-class hotel, all meals, and charter bus transportation to every site on the trip.Ford, 96, is a veteran of the U.S. Merchant Marine, the U.S. Army Air Corps, and the U.S. Air Force. He was one of just three World War II veterans on the trip. The others, including two women, served in the Korean War, Vietnam War, and other conflicts. Although he didn’t know any other veterans on the trip, Ford said he forged new friendships—especially as people learned of his connections to Iwo Jima. Ford attended Valley...

On October 19, students at Pacific Union College had the opportunity to partner with community agencies to give back to the local neighborhoods. During Service Day, students volunteer at service locations to assist residents with various community needs. Service Day began last year to raise awareness about PUC and encourage student engagement in the community. This campus program implements service learning, where students can get involved in the food pantry, homeless and hospital ministries, and other service-learning activities at the college. Service Day is just one dimension of PUC’s commitment to community involvement.Since last school year and throughout the summer, Director of Student Involvement Niq Ruud and Service Learning Director Tuwan Ussery White have been planning this event. With many elements that Service Day entails, Ruud facilitated the internal aspects while White dealt with the external elements of the program. One of White’s responsibilities was connecting with community partners to inform them about Service Day and express students’ eagerness to perform service duties at their agencies. White and his team anticipated having many students involved—which they did with an incredible turnout.PUC collaborates with several agencies, such as UpValley, Providence Health, St. Helena Hospital, Napa Resource Conservation District, Tug McGraw Veterans...

Students set things on fire. They studied cadavers. They explored marine life on the Pacific Coast. And they came away with an experience and friends that will last a lifetime. Pacific Union College continues to host its annual PacificQuest and PQ Rise summer camp series, which offers pre-collegiate students a hands-on introduction to the sciences.PacficQuest and PQ Rise are one-week summer sessions for curious and dedicated students who have a passion for STEM subjects and seek academic challenges while earning college credit. Participants engage in daily educational activities, enjoy recreational opportunities, and partake in team-building activities and evening events. This year, PUC hosted 30 students representing 19 schools from across the U.S., including Monterey Bay Academy, La Sierra Academy, Pine Hills Adventist Academy, and Calistoga Jr./Sr. High School. Aimee Wyrick, dean of PUC’s School of Sciences, said these programs are centered on the students—challenging them academically and allowing them to meet like-minded students and build social and team skills.“We offer students an immersive experience, propelling students far beyond the encounters in the typical elementary or secondary classrooms,” Wyrick said. “They learn to collaborate with one another, interact directly with college faculty, and get to know current PUC students who serve...

Pacific Union College held Week of Worship from October 9-13. Students led out in praise, sharing the theme song “Yet Not I But Christ Through in Me” with PUC Chaplain Arturo Lopez speaking to the campus. He spoke on topics such as commitment, uncertainty, and distractions- and reminded students that PUC is a community and place where they can reach out and ask for help. Lopez received the invitation to preach for Week of Worship right after becoming PUC’s chaplain. With two months to prepare each message, he jumped into it right away. Since the theme for the school year is “All In,” he focused on how Jesus can help break down the barriers that hold people from fully committing themselves to Him. Every day, Lopez took a Bible story that related to these barriers and challenged the students to let Christ be a part of their lives. “My main aim was to help students feel the Spirit touching their hearts and to reassure them that they're not alone in their struggles,” said Lopez. “I wanted them to understand that Christ is right there with them throughout their journey, whether things are going great or when life gets chaotic.”From Monday...

Pacific Union College selected 19 incoming freshmen as this year’s recipients of the prestigious Maxwell Scholarship. It’s the largest group of students to receive the award since the scholarship was created in 2009.The Maxwell Scholar Program honors PUC’s late president and first lady, Dr. Malcolm and Eileen Maxwell, and their dedication to Seventh-day Adventist education. Maxwell was the first alum to serve as president of PUC, and he had the longest tenure at 18 years.Maxwell Scholars are students with outstanding academic achievement, a commitment to Christian service, and outstanding leadership experience.Applicants must meet GPA and ACT or SAT score requirements. Application rankings are determined by a review of their resume, essay, and letters of recommendation.Maxwell Scholars are awarded $32,655 annually, renewable for three years with a 3.5 GPA and a potential fourth year under qualifying conditions.The 2023 Maxwell Scholars herald from California, Arizona, Colorado and Washington: Simon AbendanioLydear AngKiarra De LunaMakena DriverJune EoRut GonzalezNina GregoruttiJadan MartinezNeil NankaniKaitlin ObreroStory O’NealCal PatchinZachary RomeroJosiah Jordan SalazarMarc SalvoMichelle SaravanakuYaelle TanjuakioAlexis VillarrealMatthew Winokan PUC is proud of these exceptional Maxwell Scholars. Throughout this academic school year, profiles of these students, with a Q&A and photo, will be featured on the PUC Blog.Each year, PUC awards...