By Andrea James

Alice Chen is a junior and business major at PUC. When she was little, she used to help with her mother’s business—people loved her and her cute smile. Alice loves business because “I get to serve people and get the satisfaction from helping customers.” She believes that everything is related to business. “No matter what you become, you’re going to always have to deal with money, so business is a life skill I think everyone should have and I want to focus on.”

Alice Chen transferred to PUC as a sophomore from China. Her family is Seventh-day Adventist and her brother attended the school first. He then recommended it to Alice because of her fervent belief in Adventism and her strong faith in God. She has become a very active member of the PUC community. For example, she’s the president of the Asian Student Association (ASA) and a member of the Student Senate. She recently tried to start up a new club celebrating multiculturalism. She also plays tennis, runs, and sometimes plays intramurals. How does she balance all of her responsibilities, all of the demands on her time?

She says, “I pray a lot … I try to do what I can do and take it one step at a time every day. I learned recently I should live in the moment and not look back at the past or worry about the future but enjoy what I have today … When you see everything all at once and what you have to do, it can be very overwhelming sometimes. Try to do as much as you can and give the rest to God.” She also exercises and tries to take care of herself as part of having a balanced life.

Alice enjoys the events at PUC and the many opportunities for service in the community. For example, she attended FUSION, a retreat for freshmen held during New Student Orientation in the fall despite transferring to PUC as a sophomore and greatly enjoyed it. She met many other Graf Hall residents at the event and generally got to know her fellow students. She also likes that there are mission and volunteer opportunities to help students not only grow academically but also as a person and a Christian.

The people at PUC have made a particular impression on Alice’s life and her PUC experience. Her friends at PUC became her family and her teachers became her mentors. When she was feeling the most down about herself, one professor told her not to focus on the big picture or overthink everything, but rather to break things apart into smaller, more manageable pieces. They recommended Alice “just do whatever you can, at this moment, today.” The speech resonated with her and helped her a lot. In the course of her time at PUC, Alice has gained a lot of confidence and become better able to handle stress and to destress.

“I know that I myself can be courageous. And I can be strong, as well, when I rely on God,” she says.