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Abraham Garrido's 100-Mile Race in Europe

Posted by Marina Maher on September 28, 2026

On August 24, Pacific Union College Enrollment Counselor and Angwin to Angwish Coordinator Abraham Garrido participated in the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (TDS), a 100-mile race that crosses through the scenic views of the French Alps in Chamonix.The race began at midnight in freezing rain, foreshadowing a long night and day in the mountains for the 1,290 starting participants. The course included about 31,000 feet of elevation gain, taking runners through what Garrido described as “incredible terrain” in France and Italy, with mountain refuges on standby to house and care for participants. One of the coolest things he shared was being able to run with people from so many different countries and backgrounds, and how running can bring so many people from all over the world together.As he endured this life-altering experience, his wife, PUC Director of Recruitment, Isabella Malan-Garrido, along with his brother and sister, cheered him on at different aid stations, making it even more meaningful. “Honestly, one of the coolest parts of the whole experience was getting to share it with my family. I couldn’t have done it without them.”More than anything, getting to be in the Alps, running through the night, and sharing the experience with so...

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Pacific Union College Hosts 2026 Publication Workshop

Posted by Marina Maher on September 24, 2026

From August 30 to September 1, Pacific Union College held its 36th annual Publication Workshop, hosting 129 high school and academy students, along with sponsors, from 13 schools. Faculty and staff from the visual arts, communication, marketing, and enrollment departments collaborated to put together this event. Students received hands-on practice in writing, journalism, video production, photography, design, newswriting, and social media, taught by PUC’s very own faculty– professionals in their respective crafts and fields.This year, PUC welcomed Armona Union Academy, Central Valley Christian, Columbia Adventist Academy, Lodi Academy, Miramonte Christian School, Mesa Grande Academy, Mountain View Academy, Pleasant Hill Academy, PUC Preparatory, Redlands Academy, Roseburg Christian Academy, San Fernando Valley Academy, and Tualatin Valley Academy.Sponsored by the communication and visual arts departments, students learned valuable skills through teacher-led activities while also getting a glimpse of the Christ-centered campus and its wide range of offerings. Faculty and staff members involved in this year’s workshop were PUC Dean of Arts, Humanities, and Professions and Director of Publication Workshop, Milbert Mariano; Associate Professor of Communication Tara Hargrove; Professor of Communication Patricia Maxwell; Professor of Graphic Design and Department Chair Brian Kyle; Instructor of Visual Arts Nephtali Marin; Adjunct Professor of Photography Mike Murtaugh;...

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PUC Gains New Rankings in 2026-2027 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges List

Posted by Marina Maher on September 23, 2026

Pacific Union College is delighted to announce that it has been ranked #15 in Overall Rank in the Regional Colleges (West) category and #5 in California in that same category in the 2026-2027 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges List. PUC has also earned a new ranking of #12 in Top Private Colleges, a category for private institutions funded entirely by non-government sources like tuition, endowments, and alumni gifts.U.S. News Best Colleges rates about 1,700 educational institutions nationwide, weighing factors like academic quality, graduation and retention rates, post-graduate outcomes, and academic resources, with the Regional Colleges (West) category awarding only 49 schools based on the career- and job-focused degrees they offer.Currently, PUC is #15 in the Overall Rank and #34 in Top Performers on Social Mobility– all in the Regional Colleges (West) category.Proudly embracing the tagline, "Learn with Purpose, Rise in Faith, and Serve with Love," PUC takes pride in and is known for its dedicated faculty and staff, who are fully devoted to serving the entire student body– from fostering a Christ-centered environment to a robust academic program."At PUC we are focused on quality and student experience," said PUC President Ralph Trecartin. "Whenever the U.S. News rankings come...

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NAD Science Professors Conference: Where Study Meets Faith

Posted by Ally Romanes on September 10, 2026

From July 29 to August 1, four of Pacific Union College’s biology professors attended the Conference for North American Division (NAD) Science Professors in Pasco, Washington. Organized by the Geoscience Research Institute (GRI), the event was an opportunity to highlight research and presentations and celebrate higher education.PUC’s Dean of the School of Sciences, Aimee Wyrick, attended the conference, alongside Chair of Biology Bryan Ness and Professors Floyd Hayes and Backil Sung. With this year's theme being “Your Wondrous Works,” scientists and professors from the GRI, Loma Linda University and other Seventh-day Adventist institutions, along with LLU graduate students presented on topics such as paleontology, geology, biology, and the environment. Through those presentations, PUC’s biology professors collected new information that would be useful in their own lectures and benefit their students. They were also able to meet new colleagues, explore research projects, and see old friends from different Adventist schools.Before the conference officially began, Wyrick joined a group of 30 faculty members and graduate students from various universities and colleges on a two-day field trip to explore the Columbia River Basalt and Channeled Scablands. They learned about the geologic history and Missoula megafloods that shaped the area. Although Wyrick already knew...

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PUC Aviation Program Acquires Donated Glider

Posted by Marina Maher on August 27, 2026

Throughout the year, the Pacific Union College aviation program has received many provisions from God, including acquiring Charlie, their Cessna 206 missionary plane, and adding several talented instructors to their team. Recently, a glider was generously donated to the PUC aviation program. Flight Center Director Nathan Tasker has been working diligently on plans for a glider program on campus, so this was nothing short of an answer to prayer for Tasker and his team.Several months ago, Tasker met with a fellow Adventist glider pilot who had been working on his glider instructor certificate and had recently acquired it. This milestone encouraged Tasker and the instructor to schedule a meeting for July 6 to plan next steps. Among those steps was the acquisition of gliders. They met at 12 p.m. as planned, and, just 30 minutes into their meeting, the daily mail arrived. In it was an unsolicited letter from someone named Joanne Lessard. In the letter, Lessard explained that her husband, George Lessard, a 1963 PUC alumnus and a passionate glider pilot, had passed away this past January. After reading the recent article circulating on the PUC website and in ViewPoint publications about “Charlie,” she inquired whether PUC could use...

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