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The National Association of Social Workers Lobby Days is a two-day event that educates students and professionals about important legislation affecting clients and the social work profession. From April 21-22 in Sacramento, this annual event provided a tremendous opportunity for Pacific Union College’s social work students to learn more about the legislative process and speak with state legislators and their staff about important policy issues. PUC’s Psychology and Social Work Chair Damaris Perez and Social Work Assistant Professor Tuwan Ussery White took five of their senior social work students who have taken the Social Welfare Policy and Issues class. Coming together at the state capital, they joined more than 1,000 social work students from across the state. One issue they learned about was the legislative bills affecting the populations they work with. Perez shared that one example of the bills they support is providing menstrual products to incarcerated individuals. She continued by saying these products are not always available to people in jail or given enough, which can lead to other ailments. PUC students met with a regional state representative, legislators and staffers, including those of the office of Rep. Mike Thompson. They advocated for their team’s support on behalf...

Captain of Pacific Union College’s men’s volleyball team, Justin Vital, received the 2023-2024 Defensive Player of the Year in the California Pacific Conference. This season, he was named First Team All-Conference, averaged 3.49 digs per set (#1 in conference), and totaled 181 digs in 15 season games. Vital was also Nationally Ranked #3 in digs per set in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). “This recognition is an absolute honor,” said Vital. “I receive this award with gratitude and see it as the fruits of the work, grit, and relentlessness I strived to exemplify throughout my college career. The standard of consistency and discipline I set for myself preparing for this season helped me reach this honor. Being recognized as the top libero and defensive player in Cal Pac truly feels surreal.”Growing up in Miami, Florida, Vital started playing volleyball as a highschool freshman at Greater Miami Adventist Academy and continued on to attend PUC, where he is finishing up his degree in business administration with a healthcare emphasis. “I chose PUC because of the values the college upholds, as well as the academic programs and the ability for me to play volleyball at one of the highest levels,”...

Renovations to Paulin Recital Hall, West Hall and the Hanson Pool undertaken at the beginning of the calendar year are nearing completion. Funded by anonymous donations and gifts from alumni, these projects improved campus facilities that are widely used by students, faculty and community members alike.Paulin Recital HallBuilt in 1967, Paulin Hall has served as the venue for many concerts, plays, lectures, Homecoming weekends, PUC Prep senior nights and PUC Elementary end-of-semester concerts. The last renovation — which involved replacing the ’60s-era blue carpet — occurred in the ’90s. Faculty and staff members of the music department felt it was time for another update, replacing worn seating and embracing advancements in performing arts technology.PUC alumnus Quentin White donated to PUC’s music department for the renovations and upgrades after selling his share in the Angwin Community Ambulance Project. A former music major, White supported the remodel of the recital hall to extend its reach as a gathering place beyond PUC.“I would love to see us hopefully become another venue for the broader community,” echoed Rachelle Davis, chair of the music department. “I’m hoping [the recital hall] will become a place that is inviting to the campus and not just for music...

For years, PUC has dedicated time during the school year and summer break to serve communities in other countries. Faculty and students have previously traveled to Kenya, Fiji, and Brazil while also taking medical mission trips to Indonesia, Cambodia, Tanzania, China, Bangladesh, the Philippines, and the Dominican Republic. Most recently, PUC's nursing and health science department sponsored an annual mission trip to Mana Island, Fiji. From March 21-April 2, 17 students joined Nursing Professor Sandy Ringer to earn public health hours and provide non-acute care to locals in Fiji. With five hundred people living on the remote island, many lack healthcare. This year, Ringer and her team also brought along dentists to provide oral care and support for physical health needs. In 2023, PUC took two mission trips—the first to Fiji from March 24-April 4 and the second to Kenya from June 19-28. Under the leadership of former PUC Missions Director Fabio Maia and co-directors Biology Professor Floyd Hayes and Ringer, they took a group of students and Nicolette Piaubert, a PUC nursing professor, to provide health care services in Fiji. In Kenya, PUC students and faculty provided education and care to Masai girls who were forced into child marriages...

For the second year in a row, Pacific Union College was awarded a grant from California’s Department of Healthcare Access and Information (HCAI). This year totalling $1,050,000, the funding will support expanded training opportunities for nurses at both the Angwin campus and the expansion campuses, and ultimately combat the statewide nursing shortage while improving access to equitable health care."The PUC School of Nursing expresses its deep gratitude for the generous support received from HCAI and title VIII funding,” said Dean of Nursing and Health Sciences Kimberly Dunker. “Given the high cost and expenses involved in running nursing programs, we consider ourselves extremely fortunate to have been granted this additional funding. It enables us to ensure the availability of necessary resources for expanding our program, including faculty, skills and lab materials, simulation resources, and faculty development. This grant will cover the direct costs associated with expanding our nursing program, thereby providing more opportunities for training."In March, HCAI awarded $27.4 million in grants to more than 30 registered nurse training programs, including PUC.PUC’s nursing department received the grant after a competitive evaluation process, with the grant program’s criteria prioritizing funding to residency programs that demonstrate success in graduation and NCLEX pass rates,...