By Sarah Tanner

Volleyball player and English major Katie Williams transferred to PUC at the beginning of her junior year. After attending a junior college in Santa Rosa for two years, the student-athlete made the switch to PUC, and after two quarters on campus, she comfortably claims the title of Pioneer. After school shopping for a number of months, Williams’ decision to attend PUC came down to a handful of qualities she simply could not find anywhere else.

“One thing that immediately drew me to the campus is how in-touch it is with nature. My old college had a lot of oak trees, and I knew I wanted to attend somewhere that shared a similar love for nature. Coming up here, something felt familiar, and I think having such a small campus contributed to that feeling of closeness and comfort,” she explains.

Williams also wanted to make sure whatever college she chose included a strong program in her major.

“The department of English at PUC was a huge draw,” she says, “especially since small class sizes meant I would be able to interact more with professors and definitely be able to finish my major on time.”

As a result of her participation in volleyball, Williams began living on campus in August before fall quarter classes commenced. During that time, she gained a sense of the general campus culture and was surprised at how diverse such a small population could be.

When asked what surprised her most about her initial introduction to PUC, Williams notes, “I was shocked at how many people I met from different backgrounds in that first month. There were not very many students on campus when I arrived for volleyball, but the diversity was unlike anything I had experienced in college so far. It was a nice surprise.”

Over the past two quarters, Williams has adjusted to student life, though participating as a student-athlete during the fall often left her with little time to socialize. Nevertheless, she explained the general friendliness of the campus has made the process quite easy, and building connections with others at PUC has been an exciting process.   

Williams continues, “I am so grateful for the people I have met so far. I know I am making lifelong friends, and being able to push myself out of my comfort zone to attend a school with a strong spiritual life has been really good for me. Being away from home can be a little uncomfortable at times, and knowing my professors, advisors, dean, and the desk-workers are all available to talk or just listen is something I really value about being here.”

When asked if there were any pieces of advice she would like to share with others who are considering PUC as their transfer destination, Williams paused a moment before answering.

“The best advice I can give is to be open to changes in your life. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or draw attention to things that matter to you when you first visit. Tour guides are there to help you gain a sense of life on campus; use them as a valuable resource! When you’re looking at the dorms, ask to see what the rooms look like to get a feel for what the living experience will be like. Also, make sure to walk across campus to see if it is something you’ll want to do every day.”

“Do your best to gain a sense of campus life,” Williams smiled, “ It is so important to be comfortable at your college, and that is something I have definitely found at PUC. I can’t imagine going anywhere else.”

Anyone interested in transferring to PUC, hearing about the academic and athletic opportunities on campus, or simply learning more about the transfer process can reach out to Kharolynn Pascual Smith, PUC’s transfer student counselor, via email at kharolynn@puc.edu or call (800) 862-7080, option 2 to talk with her now. To schedule a campus visit, go to puc.edu/visit, call the number above, or email PUC’s visit coordinator at visit@puc.edu.