Life at PUC

In fall 2017, Aimee Wyrick, chair of the department of biology at Pacific Union College, received a phone call from Nancy Lecourt, academic dean and vice president for academic administration. She invited Wyrick to meet her outside the Angwin Post Office. “I was looking for ways to educate more people about the importance of native plants to insects and birds—the whole ecosystem,” says Lecourt.As the women walked around the planter box outside the brick building, they discussed the plants currently growing there. Most were invasive species, and the large Hollywood Juniper in the center of the box was in a dangerous position.“That tree is one of the most flammable plants used for landscaping,” explains Wyrick. “Plus, it was leaning toward a building and would eventually have been removed.”That quarter, Wyrick had students in her Native Plant Cultivation class begin mapping out a new garden for that space; one that would feature native species, making the garden a healthier option for the local ecosystem.One such student was Kari Stickle, a senior health sciences and Italian double major. As a passionate, self-proclaimed plant-lover, she not only produced many illustrations of the garden’s design, but also spent several hours outside of class weeding...

Pacific Union College is proud to introduce the Online Master of Business Administration program. This new program can be completed in as little as one year (dependent upon number of credits taken per term), and is tailored for working professionals.Offered in collaboration with Southern Adventist University, the MBA is 100 percent online, and offers a flexible schedule with multiple start dates (residency requirements; open to California and Hawai’i residents only). Small class sizes offer personalized attention, and students can expect to learn and grow under the guidance of faculty with rich, real-world experience.“One important thing to note about PUC’s online MBA is it is offered in a Christian philosophy that champions wisdom, faith, and service,” comments Victor Gaines, associate professor of business administration and online MBA program coordinator. It is also a program tailored to meet the demands of students’ professional and personal lives, designed specifically for professionals seeking to expand their knowledge and increase their career opportunities. To this end, a GMAT waiver is available based on evaluation of work experience and academic background. “The MBA is the next step for many professionals,” Gaines adds. “MBA graduates have endless possibilities, whether in a traditional business, like accounting management, or...

Pacific Union College’s department of music invites the community to their annual celebration of holiday music, Christmas on the Hill. The Wind Symphony concert is Saturday, Dec. 1, at 7 p.m. in Paulin Hall on the college campus. Choral and orchestra concerts will take place Friday and Saturday, Dec. 7 & 8 (repeated concert), at 8 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively, in the PUC church.Admission to all events is free, though a free-will offering will be collected to support those most affected by the Camp Fire in Paradise.Asher Raboy, resident artist and Wind Symphony conductor, will lead the ensemble in their concert, “Holiday Favorites,” featuring various arrangements of familiar songs of the season. Pieces include “Joy to the World,” “Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella,” and the crowd-pleasing “Sleigh Ride” of Leroy Anderson. Mel Torme’s “The Christmas Song” features saxophone soloist Kyler Martin.Peace is the focus of the Dec. 7 & 8 concerts, featuring PUC’s Chorale, Vox Pro Musica, Orchestra, and Bell Choir. This concert (repeated) will include several choruses from Handel’s “The Messiah,” high impact orchestral arrangements of traditional carols, congregational singing, readings, and more.“I used Maya Angelou’s ‘Amazing Peace: A Christmas Poem’ for a lot of the readings,” explains...

Beginning in January 2019, Pacific Union College plans to begin work on an approximately 3-mile shaded fuel break to protect the Angwin community of 3,500 residents. With financial support from community members and alumni, the College plans to construct a shaded fuel break on a prominent ridge between Pope Valley and Angwin, running from Howell Mountain road to the Las Posadas State Forest. Angwin Volunteer Fire Department Chief J.R. Rogers explains, “A shaded fuel break is a great fire prevention measure that reduces fuel levels in key locations and helps to slow a fire’s rate of spread, giving us a defensible location so we can ultimately suppress the forward momentum of a fire.”The PUC forest is an invaluable resource for the community and the college. It is home to a wide variety of plant and animal species, including the endangered Spotted Owl and some of the easternmost Coast Redwood trees. In 2014, the College began working with the Land Trust of Napa County and CAL FIRE to conserve over 800 acres of forested land in a conservation easement. Now known as the PUC Demonstration and Experimental Forest, it is used for student activities and scientific research projects, as well as...

Shasta Nelson, author, speaker, and one-of-a-kind friendship expert shared insights about building lasting relationships at PUC’s November 8 Colloquy. Nelson’s resume is impressive, as she has appeared on the Today Show, been featured in numerous national magazines, and has contributed to the New York Times and the Huffington Post. She has also published two books, Friendships Don’t Just Happen and Frientimacy: How to Deepen Friendships for Lifelong Health and Happiness. In her own words, Nelson explained a “friendship expert” is much more than an extrovert’s desire to make acquaintances.“Whether as a pastor who was training and facilitating small groups, an author who has written two books about healthy friendships, or a speaker who teaches and trains others to respond to their loneliness, my entire career has been devoted to relationship growth and health,” she says. “Having studied friendships, loneliness, and relationship health for the last ten years, while running a company devoted to helping women build better friendships, and traveling the country hearing the stories of growing loneliness, my favorite thing to do is turn around and share what I have learned.”Her devotion to sparking connections between people has blossomed into an exciting career in which Nelson has honed her...

Three Pacific Union College men’s soccer team members were recently selected for awards by California Pacific Conference (CalPac) athletics. CalPac is the largest conference of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in the western U.S.Ricky Mazariegos, senior business accounting major and pre-law student who has been on the team for four years was named a Champion of Character.“I feel honored to receive this award because it means I was a great example to my teammates,” he says. “I was able to guide the younger players and show them what it means to have character both on and off the field.”Mazariegos can play nearly every position on the team, but his natural position is left back, right back, or center back. He has served his team as captain for two years.Jonathan Manurung, sophomore pre-nursing, and Carlos Piedra, sophomore exercise science and pre-physical therapy student, were both awarded Honorable Mention.“I wasn’t expecting to get the award, but I give my best to help the team,” says Manurung. “It’s truly an honor to be given this recognition during my first year on the team.”Manurung plays primarily striker, but occasionally as center attacking midfield.“This honor would not have been possible without my teammates,”...

Pioneer Connect is the result of roughly two years of brainstorming, planning, and organizing by members of PUC’s alumni and advancement office. When asked to describe the background and reasons for Pioneer Connect, Nic Miller, a database manager for PUC, leaned back in his chair and nodded. “Two summers ago, we really started thinking about a platform or point of connection for our alumni to get in touch with junior and senior students preparing to enter their professional careers. We are located only 70 miles north of all the amazing tech innovation in the Bay Area, and that realization really sparked the idea of connecting with our alumni, not just there but in all fields,” he explained. In seeking out methods to bring Pioneer Connect to life, Miller explained they came across Graduway, a vendor that provides predeveloped platforms for alumni management. It was perfect. In avoiding development costs, PUC was able to invest in the platform and officially began piecing together what would ultimately become Pioneer Connect. “Once the site was up, we decided to run a pilot program with a select group of alumni, and their initial reactions have all been positive,” Miller smiled. Similar to sites like...

The Rasmussen Art Gallery on the campus of Pacific Union College welcomes Wendy Liang as the guest artist for November. Her exhibit will open with a reception and artist talk from 7-9 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 10, which is free and open to the public.In 2018, Liang has won the California Watercolor Association’s 48th National Exhibition, The Artist’s Magazine’s 35th Annual Art Competition, and Southwest Art Magazine’s Artistic Excellence Competition. In 2017 she received the most meaningful recognition yet for her artwork, when she won the competition of Splash 19, The Illusion of Light.“I became interested in art as a child when I first noticed colors of objects would change depending the type of weather and the different time of the day,” says Liang. “My inspiration comes through interesting lighting, water and its reflections, and scenes that feel dreamlike or somehow ethereally familiar.” Referring to her art style as “impressionistic realism,” Liang most enjoys painting scenes which create “otherworldly or mysterious atmospheres.” Her show at the Rasmussen will include such scenes as this.Liang’s exhibit will remain in the Rasmussen Art Gallery through December 9 (note that the Gallery is closed for Thanksgiving Break, Nov. 16-25). Gallery hours: 1-5 p.m., Thursday-Sunday....

Thursday, October 25 marked PUC’s workshop with Marcie Hronis, self-proclaimed public-speaking enthusiast and former Miss America contestant trainer. In just over an hour, Hronis explained the keys to successful conversations with potential employers, providing tips, tricks, and real life examples of how to excel in the arena of corporate interviewing. In her presentation, titled, “Interview Training: How to Stand out From the Rest,” Hronis detailed the steps of preparation needed to swing any discussion in the interviewee’s favor. She began by highlighting the importance of creating what she termed an “awesome list.” “How do you make any employer fall in love with you?” she asked. “You put together ten amazing, unique things about yourself, and weave them into the interview. The goal is to be able to answer any question using at least one of the things on your list.” Hronis emphasized these qualities need not be related to your academic career or workplace goals. “It can be anything that makes you stand out, whether it is something special about your family heritage, a charity you’re involved in, or volunteer work.” In addition to creating an “awesome list,” Hronis encouraged students to come up with three words that best described...

It’s always a bit sad when a beloved professor moves on to another experience or retires, but the good news is the opening left behind in the department means a chance to meet a new beloved professor. Five new faculty have joined the ranks at PUC this year: Julianna Boydston (nursing), Tara Hargrove (communication), Kiwon Kwak (exercise science), Willy Logan (history), and Sandra Ringer (nursing). Name: Julianna BoydstonTitle: Assistant Professor of NursingEducation: BSN and MSN from University of San FranciscoProfessor Boydston is a Napa Valley native, accustomed to the beautiful scenery surrounding PUC. After welcoming their first child into their lives, Boydston says she had been looking for a career closer to home. “I decided the time was now to begin a career in academia,” she says. “I have always loved education and teaching in the hospital setting; I am now excited to have the opportunity to educate our newest generation of nurses.”Prior to coming to PUC, Boydston was a registered nurse at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, San Francisco, working as a bedside nurse in the pediatric cardiac ICU taking care of critically ill infants, children, and adults with congenital heart defects. “Nursing is not only a profession, but a...