2024

Pacific Union College students from various departments showcased Shrek the Musical in the halfway-renovated Paulin Recital Hall on May 24, 26, and 27. The stage adaptation of the DreamWorks Pictures movie Shrek, the musical follows the plot with 20 songs written for the show that include ballads, classic Broadway songs, and funky dance numbers. From building sets and designing costumes to directing and producing, PUC students ran the entire show. The character of Shrek was performed by music major Milton Perez, with his sidekick Donkey played by theology major Jacob Duran. Madeline Eastman, a biology major, had the lead role of Princess Fiona, nursing major Gabe Llanell-Vararaj played Lord Farquaad, and Dragon was performed by psychology and music major Kyra Grant. Perez brought the idea to perform this musical to co-director and co-producer Leila Beltran (who played one of the three blind mice). With other musicals in mind and unsure of what to showcase, PUC SA President Kaitlyn Nakanishi, co-director/producer and choreographer, encouraged Beltran to say “yes” to Shrek the Musical—and she’s glad she did!  Being a part of the production team, Beltran coached the cast on their lines and movements, helped with music direction, and organized rehearsals, which was...

Leila Beltran decided to attend Pacific Union College for two reasons: she heard the education department was one of the best in the Adventist school system, and she knew she thrived in a smaller community. With an interest in developing relationships and realizing she wouldn’t like to go to a college or university where everyone was just another face in a crowd, PUC was the community for Beltran to receive support and make meaningful connections. Beltran will soon complete her sophomore year of liberal studies and earn a music associate's degree. Within this school year, she has made a tremendous impact in the music department by being the president of the music club and co-directing and co-producing PUC on Broadway and Shrek the Musical. With a love for musicals and hearing students' interest in putting on a show, Beltran dedicated time to making these productions happen and considerably accommodating her cast and crew to give the community enjoyable shows. She didn’t always have a passion for musicals, aside from knowing the famous musicals Hamilton and Wicked, but not much beyond that. Movie soundtracks and music in general were something she enjoyed, but she couldn’t call herself a theater kid since...

Pacific Union College was delighted to celebrate the 245-student graduating Class of 2024 from June 14-16. The consecration service on Friday night kicked off graduation weekend at the PUC Church. The program was led by graduating class members, with Executive Vice President Sitraka Andrianarijaona welcoming family and friends. Professor of Communication Dr. Tammy McGuire addressed the congregation as the chosen speaker for vespers, where she discussed the fullness of uncertainty. Former PUC Pastor Mark Witas returned to campus to share the word for Sabbath church service. In the afternoon, Tad Worku, mission coach at Inland Empire Health Plan, spoke during the nursing graduate recognition service and was followed by the Dean of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, Kimberly Dunker, who presented awards and pins to the students who completed an associate, baccalaureate, and MSN degree in nursing. Family and friends then continued celebrations afterward at the Dining Commons for the President’s Reception. Among the graduates, 177 were from the nursing and health sciences departments, 16 from the psychology and social work department, 15 from the business administration department, 10 from the chemistry department, and eight from the communication and world languages department. From completing essays and giving presentations...

The English department at Pacific Union College recently announced the winners of the second annual Emerging Voices of the Pacific Union. The English department received an influx of essays in which contestants were asked to write about a moment they were changed. “We received 90 essays, and judges were greatly impressed by the quality of submissions we received,” said Milbert Mariano, PUC dean of the school of arts, humanities, and professions. “Through a blind judging process, where the judges had no idea who or where the essay was from, it was a difficult decision to choose just three winning entries and several honorable mentions.”After attentively reviewing all the essays, PUC chose the following winners:...

The Visual Arts Department at Pacific Union College celebrated their film students at the 20th Annual Diogenes Film Festival. On May 30 at the Cameo Cinema in Saint Helena, 120 audience members watched 22 films by 18 filmmakers. In previous years, the department welcomed judges outside campus, but this year, the judges were kept within the faculty of PUC. Some of the winners included Sam Birsky, who received the Orsons Disciple; Dylan Sails and Melanie Klinedinst, who won the Audience Choice Award for Minority Report and Kateryna Popravkina for What Is This Feeling? Sails also received Best Screenplay for Before Next Winter, and Klinedinst won Filmmaker of the Future. PUC's film program emphasizes students learning to articulate their own concepts and stories and produce them at the highest quality. Visual Arts Chair Rajeev Sigamoney and Professor Tim de la Torre assist during production when needed but give their students the freedom to edit their projects as they see fit and support them as they make their vision come to life.Some projects, such as the senior thesis, took the entire school year to make, while others, like the freshmen projects, were completed over 2-3 weeks. “Seeing films screened in a professional...

When Kyra Grant was in high school, she traveled to Pacific Union College for a basketball tournament and felt a connection. Knowing she wanted to attend a smaller college in California, Grant decided to pursue her undergraduate education at PUC.  Grant is a double-major sophomore who first started as a biology pre-med major and realized after two quarters that this was not her calling. With an aptitude for psychology and an understanding of how and why people work, Grant decided to major in psychology. Additionally, she’s loved listening to or playing music since she was little. With this passion, Grant felt called to pursue the joy music brings her instead of devoting time to a major she didn't feel was her own. PUC Professor of Music Ronnie Zanella said that Grant was born with perfect pitch, a brilliant musical mind, and a natural talent. Zanella enjoyed teaching Grant Music Theory, generally the most feared class in any music department. But for Grant, there was nothing to fear, as she easily completed the class with straight A’s. “She is the type of student who always seems eager to tackle new concepts, showing interest and asking questions when she is still grasping...

18 Pacific Union College students—alongside Damaris Perez, PUC chair of psychology and social work, and professors Tuwan Ussery White, Michael Jefferson, and Libna Arroyo—attended The Western Psychological Association’s (WPA) annual conference in San Francisco from April 24-28, benefitting from the opportunity to network with students, faculty, and researchers from other institutions. Students spent their time meeting with professional psychologists and graduate school representatives and attending presentations on the latest research and advances in psychology. The diverse research presented at WPA allowed PUC students to explore various psychological topics, stimulate new ideas, and ultimately, remind them why they chose a career in psychology. PUC psychology students Catherine Garcia and Dania Guerrero presented their research on levels of extraversion, cell phone usage, and the impact on mental health; later, they answered questions after their presentation. With over a year of research work, Garcia and Guerrero’s study focused on college students and their usage of cell phones and depression. They found the PUC student body to be the main inspiration for this study. From their observations, they noticed several students on campus who were outgoing, friendly, talkative, and preferred to be in the moment tended to spend less time on their phones and...

Pacific Union College partnered with CAL Fire Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit and Napa County Fire Department to conduct a prescribed burn across 13 acres of the college’s Angwin forest property on May 1, successfully managing overgrown vegetation, enhancing forest health, and building fire resilience.These efforts demonstrate PUC’s ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship and community safety.PUC Forest Manager Peter Lecourt called the successful burn a win for PUC, Angwin, and Napa County, paving the way for future prescribed burns.“I am thrilled this project rolled out so smoothly,” Lecourt said. “Many partners played a role in getting the burn unit prepared ahead of the project, as well as helping out on the day we conducted the operation. I’d like to say thank you to CAL Fire, Napa County Fire, Napa Firewise, the Angwin Fire Safe Council, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Napa County Resource Conservation District. Without the help of these partners, this project would not have been possible.”The burn took approximately nine hours assisted by numerous trained wildland firefighters, four fire engines, and a water tender. PUC, CAL Fire Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit, and Napa County Fire Department carefully planned and strategically coordinated efforts identifying the burn area and date, meeting strict...

Pacific Union College honored Nursing Professor Hannah Saravanakumar as the 2023-2024 Educator of the Year during Community on Thursday, May 23. With over 20 years of nursing education experience, she is a highly respected nursing professor who combines expertise in leadership, didactics, clinical and simulation experiences, curriculum development, and faculty mentorship. By creating a rigorous learning environment, Saravanakumar—fondly called “Professor SK” by her students—meets their academic needs through creative teaching techniques and hands-on experience that her students find engaging and enjoyable. She teaches with passion, with her class earning one of the highest scores of all nursing standardized testing—the ATI assessments.Saravanakumar’s interests include faculty training, pedagogy, social reconstructionism, and redemptive education. Throughout her career, she has remained an active member of the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, Sigma Theta Tau International, and the American Nurses Association, mentoring nurses and educators nationally.She earned her bachelor's degree in nursing from a prestigious university in India. After completing her master’s from Washington Adventist University, she discovered her passion for teaching. Saravanakumar is currently an advanced doctoral candidate at Capella University, specializing her research in nursing education. Milbert Mariano, dean of the school of arts, humanities, and professional studies, gave a...

On May 7, over 130 participants aged 9 to 71 ran Pacific Union College’s annual Angwin to Angwish 26K, 10K, and 1 mile kids run. The trails traversed through scenic areas around the Angwin forest, offering participants a mix of challenging terrains and beautiful views of the Napa Valley.Abraham Garrido has been Director of Angwin to Angwish for the last two years. The planning process involved establishing registration, coordinating with local authorities, organizing course routes, ensuring safety measures, securing sponsors, and promoting through different channels.Garrido secured sponsorships from Healdsburg Running Company, Mindful Movement Pilates Coach Naya, Heart and Soul Sports, Sportago, and Topo Athletic. Event funds help support various projects at PUC, such as athletic lockers, the cross-country team, and other needs within the college.“The response was overwhelmingly positive,” said Garrido. “We sold out for the second year in a row, and participants noted significant improvements from previous years. It was a fantastic event, and we believe the race is progressing well and growing in popularity.”To begin the run, the 26K began at 8 a.m., with the 10K following at 8:30 a.m., then the 1 mile kids run. For the 26K, Nathan Blosser from Santa Rosa, CA, won first place...