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From October 1-3, Pacific Union College hosted its Girls’ Volleyball Tournament for 12 schools throughout California. About 200 students and coaches from Redlands Adventist Academy, La Sierra Academy, Glendale Adventist Academy, Newbury Park Adventist Academy, Armona Union Academy, Pleasant Hill Adventist Academy, Pine Hills Adventist Academy, Central Valley Christian Academy, Lodi Academy, Monterey Bay Academy, Mountain View Academy, and PUC Prep competed in the college’s first high school tournament of the school year.As teams arrived on campus Wednesday evening, PUC students welcomed them with dessert treats, dorm essentials, and new tournament shirts designed by PUC student Riley Ramirez. Before games began Thursday morning, each academy gathered for worship at Paulin Hall and listened to a message from PUC Assistant Professor of Music and Enrollment Counselor Kristian Leukert. To keep students fueled and hydrated, PUC offered a free snack-and-drink table at the gym during pregame and postgame, which the students always enjoy, with special food items for their coaches as well. Because PUC hosts this event, its athletic department also attends games to see which players they could potentially recruit.After games on Thursday and Friday, visiting students could sit in on classes of their choice, giving them a glimpse of PUC...

During Commencement on June 14, the 2026 graduates at Pacific Union College honored Allison Fox with a memorial plaque as their class gift. Fox, a PUC alum who served as an access services librarian and honors program director, sadly passed away in 2023. Senior Class President Jacqueline Messing presented their gift after her presidential speech, sharing how they wanted to select a gift that reflected the lasting impact one individual can have on a community.“She possessed a rare gift for making people feel seen, valued, and encouraged. As a class, we wanted to recognize her not only for her contributions to this institution, but also the enduring legacy she leaves behind,” said Messing. “Professor Fox helped cultivate the values, relationships, and sense of community that continue to shape this campus today.”Throughout the process of creating the plaque, the senior class cabinet was dedicated to ensuring it reflected Fox’s authenticity, even including her mother in the process. Fox’s mother played a significant role in bringing this gift to life, which, for Messing, led her to see the project from a new perspective and made the process much more meaningful. The senior class also collaborated with PUC Director of Alumni Relations and...

When PUC alumna Natasha Elloway-Negrete’s daughter received a busy board, she loved watching her learn numbers and the alphabet and saw how educational it was for children. Then she wondered if there was a busy board that taught children about the Bible. After finding only a few Christian options that didn't include the Bible truths and stories she wanted her children to learn, she was inspired to create one herself.After designing activities, securing a manufacturer, and going through countless samples and revisions, Elloway-Negrete finalized her first Bible busy board and launched it in June of this year. Although she created this busy board for her two children, she wanted to share it with other families and help their kids learn Bible stories through hands-on play. By making these boards, she also founded a small business named Faith & Fun Kids Co. Just two months after launching the first 150 boards, she sold out, with 200 boards already in production to restock in October and a Spanish version in the making.Seeing and hearing families enjoy her Bible Fun Busy Board is Elloway-Negrete’s favorite part about running Faith & Fun Kids Co. “I love seeing photos of children using and enjoying something...

Pacific Union College is happy to introduce Anthony Cadavid as the new MBA Program Director and Professor of Business Administration. Between teaching and supporting students and faculty, he develops partnerships to strengthen the department and support graduates, and ensures the program is on track to meet PUC’s vision.“PUC is an institution I have respected for decades,” said Cadavid. “I was genuinely happy to join the PUC family and have the opportunity to contribute to the important work the college is already doing. It also brought together things that matter deeply to me: education, leadership, faith, service, and helping people grow into responsibilities they may not yet realize they are capable of taking on.”When accepting this position, Cadavid was also drawn to PUC’s MBA Program's Christian mission, small class sizes for getting to know students on a personal level, and the flexibility to teach working students. “What excited me most was the opportunity to help shape the program around those needs and bring together exceptional faculty who could make that vision real,” said Cadavid. “I also found people already connected to the program who care deeply about our students, believe in what we can build, and have been incredibly supportive of...

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...

Pacific Union College is thrilled to announce that the athletics department earned the Champions of Character Five-Star Institution Award for the 2025-2026 season from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). To earn this award, NAIA colleges and universities use the Champions of Character core report to measure the pursuit of character-driven athletics, where they must reach a minimum of 60 out of 100 points. With PUC scoring 100, the NAIA recognizes the college is committed to providing an experience where their student-athletes can grow not just as competitors, but as individuals.“For me, what makes this award special is that it represents our student-athletes,” said PUC Athletic Director Tony Nakashima. They have demonstrated that it’s possible to compete at a high level while showing respect for opponents, officials, teammates, and the game itself. Their commitment to living out those values is what truly earned this recognition.”Nakashima credits the coaches for creating a program built on trust, accountability, and support that positively motivates their athletes to be the best versions of themselves on and off the court. With each coach heavily invested in each player, he says they inspire their student-athletes to grow in competition and life.“At PUC, our goal is...

From July 19-26, over 1,000 people gathered at Pacific Union College for the West Coast Korean Camp Meeting, an event that has been held on campus for decades. An annual event hosted among the Korean-American Seventh-day Adventist Churches across the western states, with the support of the Southern California Conference, their theme this year was “Build Church - Building Faith, Family, and Church.” As they focused on the church they wanted to create for the future, the camp meeting was a great time for family, friends, and churches to come to one place and worship together.As people arrived on Sunday, an opening ceremony kicked off the camp meeting that evening to welcome attendees who traveled near and far, with even some who traveled from Korea. After a performance from the adult choir to start the program, PUC President Ralph Trecartin also took the time to welcome visitors on campus before lectures and activities began.“Korean Camp Meeting represents the pinnacle of energy on campus during the summer. It is so wonderful to see over 1,000 happy people creating memories and learning opportunities for this close-knit community of believers,” said Trecartin. “I love talking to the pastors and other leaders who plan...

From June 28 to July 3, Pacific Union College hosted 42 students from sixth to 12th grade for PacificQuest. Through an annual college early program, students from academies throughout California had the opportunity to participate in programs focused on STEM, aviation, and film.Led by PacificQuest Academic Director and PUC Associate Professor of Kinesiology and Health Sciences Wayne Borin and PacificQuest Program Director and PUC Executive Assistant and Enrollment Counselor Andrianna Massena, they welcomed students and their families during their arrivals, with PUC President Ralph Trecartin also present to introduce them to the PacificQuest instructors and staff and share the event’s theme of “Intelligence,” highlighting PUC’s biology, psychology, and math departments.“PacificQuest is a direct reflection of our Pacific Union College experience: Learn with Purpose, Rise in Faith, Serve with Love,” said Borin. “This short week provides middle and high school students to experience the academic rigor of higher education, daily worship, as well as develop social and emotional awareness, building connections with their fellow student-campers.”Fitting the theme, the STEM program, known as PQSeek, focused on several lessons surrounding intelligence. In biology, PUC Biology Chair and Professor John Duncan taught students about human intelligence through anatomy and physiology, while PUC Psychology Professor...

Since 2022, 49 Pacific Union College alumni, and counting, have been involved with Pathways in Science, an alumni seminar series created by PUC Dean of the School of Sciences Aimee Wyrick. When the program was first formed, it only involved the biology department, but over the last two years, it has grown to support all the departments under the School of Sciences: chemistry, global public health, kinesiology and health science, mathematics, and psychology and social work. With four seminars each quarter, Wyrick has connected PUC students with alumni to learn about their careers and broaden their understanding of what the future may hold beyond college.With psychology and social work newly added to the seminar series, alumni Ben Silber, a licensed clinical psychologist, was the first to speak on behalf of his former department in April. As one of 12 alumni speakers this school year for Pathways in Science, Silber was also one of 11 alumni who spoke in person, despite living out of state. For the last four years, Wyrick has welcomed alumni from across the country to speak on campus or remotely, covering careers ranging from biology and biochemistry to biomathematics and environmental sciences.During this school year, several alumni...

From June 15-28, seven students from Pacific Union College joined Loma Linda University’s Students for International Mission Service (SIMS) program for a medical mission trip in Manaus, Brazil. In collaboration with the North American Division (NAD) of Seventh-day Adventists and other Adventist universities, such as La Sierra University, Southern Adventist University, and Washington Adventist University, the Manaus Adventist Conference partnered with these institutions to provide medical and dental patient care, health fairs, and Vacation Bible School to the communities living along the Amazon River.“The locals, especially the children, were so happy to see us,” said PUC Marketing and Communication Videographer Josue Hilario. “Many of the locals took advantage of the medical clinic, and we were able to help out so many people. There would be a long line of people waiting for us in the morning every day, before the medical team even arrived.”Hilario had the great opportunity to join the mission trip as the students’ chaperone and helped out in the clinics, while also working behind the lens to capture the 13-day trip. “I was blessed to have a group of great students who were passionate about serving, learning about the culture, and being there for each other,” he...