Search - Ally Romanes

Throughout California, 12 academies competed at the girls' volleyball tournament at Pacific Union College from October 2 to 4. As schools began to arrive on October 1, PUC students greeted them with snacks, and tournament shirts.Competing this year were student-athletes from Glendale Adventist Academy, La Sierra Academy, Newbury Park Adventist Academy, Pleasant Hill Adventist Academy, Central Valley Christian Academy, Mountain View Academy, Monterey Bay Academy, Lodi Academy, Sacramento Adventist Academy, Kolbe Trinity Academy, PUC Preparatory, and Pine Hills Adventist Academy.Games began at 9 a.m. on Thursday, with PHAA vs. MVA and SAA vs. TPA starting the tournament and going well into the afternoon before the cross-pool tournament play began in the evening. On Friday, 12 games determined which schools would advance to the semifinals on Saturday night. With a much-needed break to fellowship and worship together, academy students attended Vespers and Afterlight, hosted by PUC’s Campus Ministries, and also participated in a Bible Bowl on Saturday afternoon.PUC Executive Assistant and Enrollment Counselor Andrianna Massena and PUC Preparatory Athletic Director Matthew Lee organized the tournament. From providing free snacks and coffee at the gym every day and having PUC students staffed in the dorms on-call to assist with any needs, Massena...

From photography to design to writing, 11 academies attended the 35th Annual Publication Workshop at Pacific Union College from September 7 to 9. A total of 107 participants had the opportunity to learn practical skills for publication work and explore team bonding and management. This event offers a valuable opportunity for students and their teachers to explore new methods to enhance their work, network with editorial creatives and staff, and draw inspiration.Students attended from Tualatin Valley Academy and Roseburg Christian Academy in Oregon, as well as from various schools throughout California, including Redlands Adventist Academy, San Fernando Valley Academy, Central Valley Christian Academy, Lodi Academy, Mesa Grande Academy, Mountain View Academy, Pleasant Hill Adventist Academy, Sacramento Adventist Academy, and PUC Preparatory School. Being on campus gave them a glimpse into life at PUC, as they stepped into the world of the college’s visual arts and communication departments, learning from professors and receiving their support with projects.Milbert Mariano, PUC dean of arts, humanities, and professions, and director of the Publication Workshop, hopes that students will apply what they have learned to their school yearbooks and newspapers. Helping plan this event were Visual Arts Chair Brian Kyle, who taught photography during the...

With students back at Pacific Union College, the ambiance has been electrifying. New and returning students have added vibrance back on campus, expressing their highly energetic and positive energy for the 2025-2026 school year.On September 17, freshmen arrived on campus for Fusion. From the moment students entered the campus, PUC Director of Student Involvement Sharleen Bouit aimed to create an inclusive environment where they felt a sense of belonging. “We also wanted students to experience the spiritual heartbeat of our campus—knowing that if they wished, they could find a vibrant spiritual life here and grow in their connection with God,” she said. “Fusion was designed to help students recognize that PUC is a place where both community and faith can thrive.”As Bouit met the newest Pioneers, she noticed a friendliness and spark in this particular group, showcasing their eagerness to get involved, which made her anticipate their helpfulness in shaping PUC. “What has been especially encouraging is their willingness to experience God and learn about Him,” she shared. Seeing how open they are to community and faith has given Bouit hope for how they will grow and even lead during their first year at PUC.Alongside Bouit in executing a successful...

In June, Parfait Migisha became the second student to graduate from the MBA program at Pacific Union College. Before attending, he was deciding on his next career step as a nurse. At the same time, his friend at PUC mentioned the MBA program after considering nurse practitioner and anesthesia programs when they brought up healthcare leadership as a possibility. When Migisha researched the program, he was intrigued by PUC’s online format and small class sizes, and he heard that instructors are easily accessible.In 2023, Migisha began his two-year journey with PUC as the second student to enroll in the newly established MBA program. While earning his MBA, Migisha worked as a full-time nurse. After 10 years out of school, the program pushed him out of his comfort zone. He recalled returning to studying and writing essays, which he found challenging, and the program's courses were tough, but it helped rebuild his confidence in tackling complex problems.“Living in Oakland, CA, for six years, I'd met many PUC undergrad alumni who spoke highly of their experience,” he said. “During the pandemic, I realized healthcare needs more clinically minded people in management, and with 13 years of bedside experience, I wanted PUC's Christian...

From a biology lab and media room to flying in the sky, Pacific Union College hosted its annual PacificQuest Programs, PQSeek, PQRise, PQSoar, and new this year, PQFlix, for students in grades 6-12 interested in STEM, aviation, and filmmaking. Students travelled from Hawaii and different parts of California to attend a week-long program to explore their interests and participate in challenging hands-on learning and team-building exercises. Not only did they get a glimpse into potential future careers, but also earned one unit of college credit from PUC.PQSeek and PQRise began their programs, focusing on STEM topics, with 22 students working with several professors from the School of Sciences. PUC Associate of Kinesiology and Health Sciences Professor Wayne Borin taught the interaction of the cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, and nutritional energy systems. In contrast, Biology Professor Bryan Ness taught the students about planetary health, and Chemistry Professor Robert Wilson taught them about thermochemistry.From July 6-11, PUC Flight Center Director Nathan Tasker and his team worked with seven students, with two students completing the private ground school. Students learned about aerodynamics and visited Mike’s Aero, an aircraft maintenance facility at Angwin Airport, and the Napa Control Center, where they met with air traffic...

Beginning more than 50 years ago, Pacific Union College’s science departments have had a longstanding math and science workshop. To introduce a first-of-its-kind, PUC collaborated with Loma Linda University to create a STEM and health professions-focused workshop for high school students, grades 10-12, interested in those areas to learn and engage in activities outside their classrooms while working with professionals from both institutions.From February 23-24, 35 students from Monterey Bay Academy, Mountain View Academy, and Vegas Valley Academy attended five workshops focused on sleep, air pollution, dental chemistry, performance, and anatomy and imaging, while also hosting a college and graduate fair and a contest filled with tests and challenges, all within two days."My students had a positive experience," said Andres Ruiz, Mountain View Academy athletic director and chaperone. "They were engaged and excited by the hands-on activities, and many commented on how different and fun it felt compared to a traditional classroom setting. The workshop benefited my students by introducing them to potential career paths in the healthcare profession. Several students said they gained an interest in pursuing healthcare or science in the future.”With PUC preparing students for admission and professional studies at LLU, both schools have worked together for...

From exploring the treasures of Florence to the coastal villages of Cinque Terre to the canals of Venice, and roaming the historical streets of Rome, eight honors students from Pacific Union College spent four weeks in Italy as part of their course, Renaissance: Truth and Beauty. This course explored art and science from the Italian Renaissance with the places and works that shaped Western culture.PUC’s Honors Program began taking international tours in the early 2000s, with England being the first country visited. Throughout the years, students have had the opportunity to learn in France, Spain, and Italy.Alongside PUC Honors Director and Dean for the School of Arts, Humanities, and Professions, Milbert Mariano, and Chemistry Chair Kent Davis, Music Chair Rachelle Davis also joined the honors study tour from June 29-July 24, starting in their home base in Florence at PUC’s sister school, Villa Aurora College.Beginning their immersive experience into the Italian Renaissance era in Florence, students had the opportunity to see breathtaking figures by Michelangelo at the Galleria dell'Accademia, rich paintings by Botticelli and da Vinci at Uffizi Galleries, and gain insight into Galileo's scientific mind at the Museo Galileo. They also visited the Bargello Museum, the Basilica of Santa...

Pacific Union College has long recognized the value of online education in expanding access and flexibility for students while maintaining academic excellence. Building on this foundation, the college recently pursued two grants from the Archie Tonge Education Foundation to strengthen its online offerings further. Because of these funds, PUC was able to create the Online Campus to support the BSN, MBA, MEd, MSN, and MA in Communication programs.Since 2021, two teams have successfully secured funding that enabled key enhancements: upgraded instructional technology, standardized syllabi across courses, and over 600 hours of faculty development focused on effective online teaching. These efforts also supported the creation of quality assurance processes designed to uphold and continually improve PUC’s academic standards in the digital learning environment.To foster sustainable growth for the college and reach students off-campus and working professionals, this program will meet their needs by delivering high-quality education that reflects PUC’s Christ-centered values. To ensure lifelong learning success, orientation resources will help students start strong and confidently navigate their learning experience. This online resource supports the design of all the college’s courses with accessibility, academic rigor, and Adventist values in mind, ensuring that students receive a personalized, engaging, and transformative education.Leading this project...

From July 7 to 12, Pacific Union College Biology Professors Backil Sung, Aimee Wyrick, and Floyd Hayes, along with 10 of their students, served in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Also on the mission trip were volunteers from Vietnam, the Philippines, Australia, India, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, China, and Hong Kong. All 110 of them provided medical and dental services, offered counseling, reinstalled electrical power lines, addressed financial needs, and hosted Vacation Bible School.Their team also distributed 3,000 pairs of reading glasses, visited orphanages, cooked meals, conducted health screenings, and provided transportation and food to patients from nearby communities who traveled up to 100 miles outside Kandy. Many of these patients worked in tea gardens and were paid only $2 a day, which they could not afford to spend on lunch or bus tickets.Sung helped plan this mission trip with the help of his non-profit, All to Heaven, which pledged $25k to renovate the operating room at Lakeside Adventist Hospital in Kandy and $20k to improve the boys' dormitory in Lakpahana Adventist College. He also partnered with their hospital, college, and several organizations, including Together with Seoul SDA Hospital, Jiwon Medical Company, Sahmyook Health University, Ceylon Mission of SDAs, Adventist International Institute...

After Jim Wibberding, chair and professor of the theology department at Pacific Union College, discovered over 50 names of women who significantly shaped the faith and mission of Adventism, he created the "Women in Adventist History" course in 2022 to share the stories of underrepresented women in the church.Some of these women were Jennie Ireland, whose biography was nowhere to be found but slightly mentioned in someone else's biography as the woman who planted the first Black Adventist church on the West Coast, and Sarah Peck, who appeared as one of Ellen White's literary assistants but also had more to her story as a notable role in shaping Adventist education worldwide. Wibberding aimed to put a spotlight on those who were ignored and unknown, filling these historical gaps in the storytelling of the women who have made the Adventist church known today at PUC and beyond.During spring quarter of 2023, 19 students from Wibberding's class wrote a book titled Women of the West: Twenty Who Shaped Adventism, which was released this past March. The inspiration behind this book also stemmed from their research and essays, which uncovered more stories of the crucial contributions of women whose experiences had been overlooked...