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On May 28, Pacific Union College’s Visual Arts Department hosted its annual Diogenes Film Festival at the Cameo Cinema in St. Helena. With PUC Professor of Film Melissa Henry Pratt and Film Instructor Nephtali Marin as the hosts, 15 films were showcased to a full house of faculty, staff, and the PUC community. The night was filled with laughter, heart, and, of course, popcorn. With three awards presented, three PUC students, one alumna, and a student from PUC Preparatory received awards for their work.“Diogenes is our graduation. It’s our Oscars,” said Marin. “It’s a big moment for us. A time to celebrate.” As their professor, Marin had the privilege of watching his students grow throughout the projects, from the rough to the final cuts. “They all worked so hard, and each had their own challenges, and each turned out completely different,” he said.Senior Kateryna Popravkina received the Audience Choice Award for her film Albedo. As an audience favorite, her film also left an impression at the 2025 Sonscreen Film Festival, an event hosted by the North American Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which had funded Albedo last year through a pitch competition.Junior Samuel Birky and senior Jonathan Murdick won...

On May 21, Pacific Union College Professor of New Testament Ross Winkle was honored as the 2025-2026 Educator of the Year during a special Community program at the PUC Church. He was selected by the student body for his spirited teaching, dedicated mentorship, and commitment to faith.“Ross Winkle has great knowledge and wisdom and a wry sense of humor. After watching him and listening to him over the years, it is no wonder that students love him and his courses,” said PUC President Ralph Trecartin. “His character and vast knowledge content begins to change your worldview, and helps us reorder our perspectives on life and scripture in a persistent and powerful way.”Reigning him with this new title was last year’s Educator of the Year, PUC Assistant Professor of Nursing & Student Success Coordinator Nicolette Piabert, who also gave Winkle the Educator of the Year cape, with Lindsay Hayasaka, PUC academic dean and vice president for academic administration, handing him the award. As an introvert, Winkle attempts to avoid the spotlight whenever possible, so hearing his name called as the new Educator of the Year came as a shock.“To me, being named as Educator of the Year means that I am...

The English Department at Pacific Union College received 230 entries for its fourth annual high school essay contest. With this many students submitting their stories, the Emerging Voices of the Pacific Union has grown tremendously in the last few years, surpassing last year’s total of about 103 submissions. “We host the contest with the aim of encouraging young writers to continue pursuing their craft,” said PUC English Department Chair Emily Logan. “We read every single essay with care.”With more essays to read, the department added two more judges to dissect each essay that focused on a meaningful memory associated with one of the five senses. Alongside Logan, the selection committee included Education Chair and English Professor Jennifer Peñaflorida, Assistant Professor of English Leah Dopp, English Professor Linda Gill, Vice President for Academic Administration Lindsay Hayasaka, and Adjunct English Professor of Art History Karl Wilcox. As they dissected each original story, only three students could be awarded.Boi Dinh (Daisy) Quan from San Gabriel Academy won first place after greatly impressing the judges with her essay titled “Journey in a Bowl,” which she wrote with a focus on all the sensations simply by enjoying a bowl of pho. “I got chills when...

Athletics in North American Seventh-day Adventist colleges and universities date back only 40 years. Because there was not a long history, Pacific Union College’s Men’s Pioneers Volleyball Team was established only during the 1989-1990 school year, when the college began its athletic program.During this time, Chuck Evans was PUC’s athletic director and oversaw the development of the athletics program. In this role, he was appointed the first head coach of PUC’s men’s volleyball team, a position he held for three years. While their team was not accepted into a national organization or conference, they competed in a club setting and set their record during their first year as a team: 14-1. “The first year the men’s team was absolutely dominant,” shared Evans.The team later competed in the California Coastal Conference, and it was not until 2017 that the team was adopted as a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) sport. PUC was the second school to join the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the national organization that many other Adventist colleges later joined to start competing in interscholastic athletics. As PUC was in the California Coastal Conference, they moved on and joined the California Pacific Conference (CAL PAC).In the 1994-1995 school...

Through the collaborative efforts of those within the School of Arts, Humanities, and Professional Studies, Pacific Union College is thrilled to announce that its new Associate of Arts degree in Humanities has been approved and will officially be open for enrollment in fall 2026.A highlight of this newly created degree is that it gives students the flexibility to tailor it to their academic schedules. This degree has been carefully designed, from foundational education to specialized humanities, to offer students a two-year structured program that challenges them in cultural literacy and in critical and ethical thinking. Students may also pursue this major as a double major or minor if they are interested in adding a deeper understanding of the humanities as it relates to their career.“The program affirms Pacific Union College’s identity as a liberal arts institution, while also serving an important completion and retention function for students whose academic trajectories shift during their time at PUC,” said Milbert Mariano, dean of the school of arts, humanities, and professions. “We are responding to the needs of our students who can design and construct their own individualized emphasis (with guidance). This is not a major you would normally see at other Adventist...

For over 35 years, Pacific Union College has offered the Introduction to Dentistry taught by alumni dentists from Loma Linda University School of Dentistry and PUC. By testing their hand-eye skills and personality characteristics, this course has given pre-dental students early exposure to the field, preparing them for future careers in dentistry or dental hygiene.Since 2012, PUC and LLUSD alum Dr. James Yoo has been the class and lab instructor. With eight students in his class this quarter, they have expressed their appreciation of this class being the first step into their careers. “The students are wonderful and eager to learn when they show up to class,” said Dr. Yoo. “It is very rewarding on a personal level to give back to PUC in this little way.”In his experience, the most common challenge first-year dental students face that PUC’s introduction to dentistry class helps with is the wax lab, which is extremely helpful as they learn the anatomy of each tooth and start training their eyes to the details required in dentistry. While this course introduces students to the world of dentistry, they are encouraged to reach out to local or family dentists, volunteer on mission trips, and find shadowing...

From April 9-12, students from the visual arts department at Pacific Union College attended the annual Sonscreen Film Festival in Loma Linda, CA, to celebrate their work with their department and other fellow filmmakers from Adventist colleges and universities throughout the country. This year, nine films by PUC students were showcased, with one student winning their category and another receiving film funding again.Senior Kateryna Popravkina featured her film Albedo in the dramatic short category, which received financial support at last year’s Sonscreen through a pitch competition. As the North American Division hosts the festival, they have committed to funding Popravkina again for her film festival run. PUC visual arts alumnus Josue Hilario served as cinematographer on Albedo and had a great experience collaborating with Popravkina. “It was a project that pushed her in many different ways, and it took a lot of time and effort to get it ready for Sonscreen,” shared Hilario. “I'm glad I was able to be a part of this journey with her.”Double major film and communication sophomore student Jacob Capiña won the Special Jury Award for Musical Storytelling for his short film, Phantom’s Lament, which focused on a lonely ghost who performs a tune haunted...

From March 19 to 29, 23 students and two nursing professors from Pacific Union College traveled to Mana, Fiji for a medical mission trip. Accompanied by physicians, dentists, and nurse practitioners from Loma Linda University, they treated 271 medical patients, 101 dental patients, and 53 optical patients.During their 10 days in Mana, the most needed service was dental care. Jeff Joiner, PUC associate professor of nursing and emergency services, shared that they could have seen twice as many total patients in dental appointments as their team did. In addition to dental care and exams, PUC students had the opportunity to conduct medical screenings, treat skin infections, and provide eye exams and corrective lens fittings. They also educated and treated over 100 patients with acute and chronic pain and provided home visits to local residents.While this was a medical mission trip, the team took half a day to enjoy the island by snorkeling. Surrounded by fish and sea turtles, this was a wonderful opportunity for students to take a break and experience Fiji before returning to their mission in the clinics. In addition to providing medical services, PUC students hosted Vacation Bible School every afternoon, which was an impactful time for...

For the third year, Angwin to Angwish sold out, with about 160 participants from the community, the state, and some flying in from Tennessee, Arizona, and Oregon to compete in the event on May 3 at Pacific Union College. Runners ranged in age from 5 to the 60s to compete in the 10k, 26k, and the kids' 1-mile race.Running among the forest trails of the college, PUC senior Andrea Maidan won first place at 2:40:16 in the women’s race, with Tegan Henry coming in second at 2:58:56, followed by Haley Wight coming in third with a time of 3:13:41. For the men’s 26K, PUC alumni Pablo Garrido won first place at 2:12:30, with Menso De Jong coming in second at 2:16:32, and David Pillard placing in third place at 2:20:07.Since 2023, PUC alumnus and Enrollment Counselor Abraham Garrido has been the director of Angwin to Angwish and has been looking for ways to enhance the event each year. This year, he and his team encouraged additional community support at the line to rev up and support the runners and included more course signage throughout the forest to provide clearer direction for runners on their route. This year’s event also had...

From musical performances to personal poetry to tai chi, the faculty and staff talent show on February 26 at Pacific Union College left the audience wildly entertained. Many community members of all ages gathered at the Paulin Center for the Arts to celebrate the diverse talent of PUC’s faculty and staff, talent they may never have known they had. This was also a chance for students to see their professors on stage, in a different light, showcasing a side of themselves their students don’t see every day in the classroom.When the idea came to Vice President for Student and Spiritual Life, Dr. Aimee Leukert, at the beginning of the school year, she knew she would have to mention the talent show to staff and faculty very early on to get participants and make it happen. Through constant reminders, mass emails, and support from the academic deans, Leukert was dedicated to securing representation from faculty and staff across departments. As people began signing up, she knew that it was going to be a great show.“I love, love, love, the faculty and staff here,” expressed Leukert. “Being new, I have felt so welcomed and valued — really from day one. Everyone has...