Monthly Archives: August 2022

How To Know You’re Pursuing The Right Major

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Many college students graduate with a degree that they initially weren’t majoring in when beginning college. Switching majors is common for students to do because as you grow into adulthood, your interests and passions change. Here’s how to know if you’re pursuing the right major. 

Know Why You Chose Your Major 

Clearly know why you chose your major. Are you sincerely passionate about it and want to make a living from it? Did you choose it for yourself or to please others? Knowing why you chose your major will give you that boost of motivation during those long nights of studying and when you feel stressed. If you need to, write down the reasons why you picked that major. 

Picture Your Future 

Picture your future- what do you see? Do you see yourself happy working the career you chose? If you do, fantastic! If you don’t, think about changing course and heading down another career path. Ask yourself what type of job you’d be good at and would enjoy doing every day. That’ll help you figure out what to major in. 

Think of Your Interests & Skills

Thinking about your interests and skills helps figure out what your strengths are and what career you can make out of them. A work environment that fits your skills, interests, and personality will allow you to feel fulfillment in your career and grant you more success.  

It’s completely okay to be confused about what you want to study or whether or not you chose the right major. We understand that this process can be tough, which is why PUC has various programs for you to choose from. Your options and opportunities are endless here. 

Faces of PUC: Abby Harris 

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Coming to PUC from Littleton, CO., is Abby Harris. She is an emergency management, pre-physician assistant student who dreams of one day being the personal surgeon for the Denver Nuggets. Abby’s favorite places are the mountains and the beach, which makes PUC the perfect location for her to have the best of both worlds.

What is your dream job? 

My dream job would be to work as a personal orthopedic surgeon for a professional sports team. One of the main characters in Grey’s Anatomy (the best show) was a personal surgeon for the Seattle Mariners, and ever since finding out that this was a real job, I’ve always dreamed of doing it. I would want to work for the Denver Nuggets because they’re my favorite basketball team, and basketball is my favorite sport to watch.

How does that compare to what you wanted to be when you were young? 

When I was younger, I wanted to be a part-time veterinarian/part-time artist. Sadly, my artistic skills did not develop as I got older, so that’s not a possibility anymore. I do still think that being a veterinarian would be fun!

What is your favorite thing about being a part of the Pioneers family? 

Since being at PUC, I’ve enjoyed the beautiful campus and the kind people. Everyone that I’ve met so far has been so kind. Being a part of the Pioneers family has been a great experience thus far!

Where is your favorite place in the world? 

My favorite place in the world would probably be either the mountains or the beach. Even though they’re polar opposites, I love both so much. Back home in Colorado, you can see the mountains from almost everywhere, so I’ve always loved them because they remind me of home. I didn’t grow up around a beach, so now that the ocean is less than a couple of hours away, I’ve been loving it! Both the mountains and the ocean remind me of how amazing our God is and what an incredible creator he is.

What is something you’re passionate about? 

I’d say I’m passionate about living an active lifestyle. I spent most of my childhood outside with my brother, learning to play every sport in the book. When I was old enough to play sports at school, I made it my goal to play every sport offered and to put 100% effort into each of them. In high school, I played volleyball, basketball, and soccer, volleyball being my favorite. My dad gave his love of sports to me, so I’ve always loved watching and playing sports.

What have you enjoyed the most since moving to Northern California? 

The beautiful scenery and weather. The weather here is so nice, and it’s been great not having to deal with snowstorms every couple of weeks. It’s also been really fun to be close to both the mountains and the beach! I can spend one day at the beach and the next in the mountains snowboarding which is really cool. So far, my experience living in California has been super fun, and I can’t wait to explore even more.

Pioneers Represent at Student-Athlete Council Summit 

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(PUC student-athletes Madison Kindred & Nathan Hiss on the far right, second row.)

The Student-Athlete Council Summit is a yearly event hosted by the commissioner of the Cal Pac, where representatives from all Cal Pac schools meet and come up with proposals to make the student-athlete experience better by addressing topics that need changing and revising athletic programs as a school and conference. PUC athletes Madison Kindred (women’s volleyball) and Nathan Hiss (cross country) were chosen to represent our college athletes amongst 10 of the 13 Cal Pac schools at this year’s summit to form the 2022-2023 Student Athlete Council at Cal Maritime in Vallejo. 

As SAC representatives, Madison and Nathan’s responsibilities are to ensure that the Cal Pac is responsive to the needs of PUC athletes and resolve the many issues student-athletes face. By doing so, they attended various meetings discussing leadership, emphasizing making a lasting impact on their school’s athletic department and those enrolled in the Cal Pac and NAIA. They met other representatives, participated in team activities, attended a speech by Admiral Copper, and worked closely with the commissioner to create plans and goals for each school. “Our goal at the university level is to represent student-athletes and work with administration to solve the issues that arise throughout the school year and implement lasting solutions,” said Nathan.

Out of all the sessions, the one topic that stood out to Nathan and Madison was mental health and how they can better support student-athletes by addressing their mental health needs. “This stood out the most because it was a universal problem across the schools represented at the summit. This is important to cover because of the extra stress added to athletes throughout their education and athletic careers,” shares Madison. Nathan added, “This topic was deemed as top priority in our council as each school’s athletics department has suffered from struggles arising from mental health.”

From what Madison and Nathan learned from the summit, they both will take action to create a SAC at PUC composed of members from each sport and meet throughout the year to resolve team and department issues and become leaders on our campus.

A Leap of Faith in Italy 

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Natalia Gomez recently flew back to her hometown of Santa Barbara after spending most of her summer studying abroad at Villa Aurora in Italy. Applying through ACA (Adventist Colleges Abroad), she saw that she didn’t know anyone in the program but decided to take a leap of faith and go on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure before her senior year. By facing her fears, Natalia met amazing people on campus, learned Italian, explored new places, and indulged in delicious food every day. From her “HOT!, inspiring, and yummy” time in Italy, Natalia couldn’t have asked for a better study abroad experience.

How has your time in Italy been? 

My time in Italy has been great! I’ve been able to visit and explore a new Italian city every week as well as really familiarize myself with Florence. It’s pretty exciting to be living in Florence and find my favorite spots to study or get gelato. I have definitely indulged and gotten gelato almost every day I’ve been here. School in Italy is not structured the same as back home, and learning a new language comes with its challenges, but it has been a lot of fun learning a new language and immersing yourself in the culture. I’d definitely say that I’ve gotten the most practice with speaking in Italian through talking with salespeople or waiters at restaurants. I didn’t always understand what they were saying at first or even what I was saying, but it made for some funny moments, and after a few weeks, I got the hang of it. I’m definitely not fluent, but I’ve really enjoyed being able to speak with locals in Italian as best as I can. 

What inspired you to study in Italy?

I have to be honest, the foodie in me is what really determined me to study in Italy. I love pasta, and I love ice cream, and the thought of having the best of the best in Italy, on a regular basis? Sold! But of course, I also thought it would be really exciting to make new friends from all over the world. I really enjoyed going on an ADRA missions trip a few years back, and I made incredible friendships from that experience, and I was also hoping the same would come out of studying abroad! I actually took a really big leap of faith and decided to go abroad alone, without knowing anyone else in the program. And after my time here, I honestly would recommend going even if you don’t know anyone. 

Describe your typical day studying abroad.

My typical day abroad: I wake up around 7 a.m. to get ready for breakfast at 7:30 at the caf or a quick trip to a nearby cafe. Then I go to classes from 8:40-1:15, usually getting some snacks from the vending machines during class breaks. Once I’m out of classes, I run over to the caf for lunch to be in the front of the lunch line because lunch is the best meal of the day on campus! And after lunch, some friends and I take off to our favorite spots to do homework and study. Then we explore Florence or go shopping before dinner. If I don’t eat dinner in town, I go back to campus for dinner, but regardless- I will always go out with friends after dinner for gelato. Then it’s time for an ice-cold shower before bed, it’s so hot in the summer, that’s the only way to fall asleep peacefully. (keep in mind, I was in Italy during Europe’s record-breaking heat wave). I usually fall asleep around midnight. 

What have been your favorite things about studying abroad?

Surprisingly meeting new people has been my favorite thing! I’m actually a pretty shy person and studying in Italy without knowing anyone seemed scary at first. However, I’ve met amazing people while being here, from students to teachers and the volunteers who work on campus! I’ve had so much fun going out with everyone here that I’ve actually already made plans to travel and go out with some new friends after returning home! 

What will you miss the most about your time abroad? 

That’s tough, I miss so much! But I’d have to say exploring Florence in the afternoons after school was the best time. Practicing our Italian, finding new places, trying new foods – just adventuring without a plan was so fun! Some of the funniest memories came from us just taking advantage of our time and exploring. Was there an afternoon where at one point there were dark clouds and lightning off in the distance? Yes. Did we have jackets or umbrellas? Nope. Did we get caught in a rainstorm and end up running in the rain all over the city? Yes, we did, and it was one of the funniest nights ever. Truly just do it all!

Recommend an Italian dish or restaurant. 

Medici’s has the best gelato and this has been confirmed by multiple locals! I went here almost every day of the summer- all the flavors are amazing! Although I’d have to say that Stracciatella is my favorite flavor of gelato, and this was the best place to get it. Everywhere else I went did not compare.

What would you say to someone who is interested in ACA?

Just go for it! Don’t let any of your fears or worries stop you from having once-in-a-lifetime experiences. It sounds so cheesy, but when else will you have the opportunity to be 18-22 ish running around a foreign city with friends, trying new foods, seeing beautiful landscapes, and learning about another culture? It’s probably one of the last times you’ll have a summer camp type of experience before you graduate and start working.

Prep for College in High School

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Everyone’s high school experience is different, but there are opportunities during your high school years that help prepare you for college. Being involved in extra curriculums and finding opportunities outside of school will be instrumental to your education and personal journey.

Join Clubs, Teams, or Outreaches

Joining a club, team, or outreaches teaches how to work with others, build character, and make great friendships. You’ll build communication skills, learn how to think creatively, and gain life lessons. Being a part of different organizations keeps you well-rounded and looks good on college applications.

Start Your Portfolio

If you are a writer, photographer, artist, graphic designer- any type of creator- start building your portfolio. Have them in a binder or hard drive, or showcase them on a business website or Instagram. It’s good to have a portfolio because once you start looking for jobs or internships, you’ll already have things to share. It takes time to put everything together, so start making your portfolio when you can.

Have A Part-Time Job or Internship

Many students take up a part-time job or internship while in high school. Even if the part-time job isn’t in the field you’re interested in, the skills and experiences you’ll have will go a long way. It’s okay if you don’t have much work experience because managers know you’re in high school.

(If there is a major you’re interested in studying in college, find someone who works in that field and ask if you can shadow them or take a couple of minutes to answer your questions.)

Strengthen Your Skills

Strengthen your skills in high school and be open to learning new things. Learning new things will give you a range of skills that will benefit you and future jobs by adding them to your resume.

Learn New Things

High school is a fantastic time to try new things because you’re not committed to one specific program. You have the opportunity to take elective classes that will expand your learning experience and teach you new skills. These classes can introduce you to new interests and possibly a field you’re interested in studying in college.

Go On School Trips

If you have the opportunity to go on a school trip, go. Especially if the trips are to other cities or countries, these trips are worthwhile, will broaden your horizons, and inspire you. Students find school trips enjoyable and valuable in growing a passion, discovering a hobby, and finding interest in a career.

Take College Courses During Summer

Some junior and senior high schoolers take general classes at a community college to start earning college credit. This helps knock one class out by the time you are in college, which allows you to take other general classes or classes required for your major. Taking classes at a community college is cheaper and shorter, so if you have the time and means, consider taking college courses in the summer.

Connect With Prospective Colleges

If you have an idea of which colleges you’re interested in, start reaching out to recruiters, admissions counselors, and even program heads. You can do your research on their website, but speaking to someone gives you a personal perspective on the school and major of your choice. 

Check out our school website to learn more about PUC. If you have any questions, email admissions@puc.edu or call (800) 862-7080, option 2. We hope you consider PUC! 

Faces of PUC: Nathan Hiss 

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Nathan Hiss is a biology pre-med student from Orinda. One of his favorite things about being a PUC student is that everyone is always ready to help him out when needed. Nathan dreams of being a dermatologist and enjoys outdoor activities, such as fishing, hiking, and running. 

What is your dream job?  

My dream job is to be a dermatologist. 

How does that compare to what you wanted to be when you were young? 

Ever since I was little, I always wanted to be a doctor like many members of my family. When I was a baby my parents got me a toy doctor set and my favorite tool was the reflex hammer.  

What is your favorite thing about being a part of the Pioneers family?  

My favorite thing about being a part of the Pioneer family is the inclusivity of everyone. Everyone is so warm and welcoming, and always ready to give help when asked! I always have someone to help me with schoolwork if I get stuck on a difficult topic! 

Where is your favorite place in the world?  

My home and hometown are my favorite places in the entire world. There is nowhere I would rather be than where I am right now! 

What show are you bingeing these days?  

Every Friday after my last class and before vespers, I watch an episode of Deadliest Catch. It has been one of my all-time favorite shows since I was 4. 

What is something you’re passionate about?  

I am very passionate about fishing, hiking, and running. I really enjoy outdoor activities so anything pertaining to heading into nature is game.  

Recommend a place to go in the Bay Area on a weekend  

A great place to go to in the Bay Area on the weekend is Stinson beach. The sand is soft, there’s good parking, fun running trails, skid boarding and great food. My favorite food spot is definitely the Siren Canteen and I would highly recommend going there. It is a 5-minute walk from the beach and has the best food.   

Connect Ministries: Serving Churches & Academies Around The World

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Connect Ministries is one of PUC’s worship outreach ministries. Ran by the enrollment and marketing department, Lewis Govea is in charge of Connect Ministries- and has been involved since 2017, serving at different academies, camp meetings around California, and reaching out to churches to worship with. Besides making it a habit of attending camp meetings and doing vespers for local academies, they have also traveled as far as Arlington, TX., and Boston, MA. to worship with churches.

Lewis kindly answered some questions for us to learn more about Connect and how you, your church, and academies can get involved.

Tell us about Connect Ministries. 

I think George Tuyu, the PUC church’s current youth pastor, was a large proponent of its inception when he was a PUC student. It was a way for students to bring the banner of PUC to the local churches and academies and help them out with various parts of the service. It currently still operates as primarily a worship ministry. The people that are involved change year to year, but it has always been musicians across campus bringing PUC’s worship to local churches and schools, and sometimes not so local places.

What is your role with Connect Ministries? 

I started getting involved with Connect Ministries back in 2017. I was a freshman, and we went to do vespers at Rio Lindo Academy. I have done a number of things with Connect since then, including spending a week and a half at Redwood Campmeeting in 2019. Now I’m an enrollment counselor and am in charge of the entire ministry, which includes me reaching out to churches and organizing trips.

What plans do you have for Connect next school year? 

The plan for next year is to reinvigorate the program. The goal is to make sure our local churches and schools know they can call on Connect Ministries for a worship experience.

How has this ministry impacted you? 

This ministry is the first PUC ministry I got involved in. It inspired me to reimagine my view of worship and ministry altogether, and challenged me to think bigger and better all the time. These aren’t just productions, they’re worship experiences, and now I am called to lead it.

PUC admissions counselors Pauline Cidro (left) and Lewis Govea (right) with the Connect Ministries team.

What is your favorite thing about being a part of Connect Ministries? 

Being able to guide my student leaders when we are called somewhere. I love making music myself, and I enjoy the challenge of producing something high quality and heartfelt.

How can students get involved with Connect Ministries? 

Anyone interested in being a part of Connect Ministries or who is interested in having us visit their school or church just needs to email connectministries@puc.edu. 

Kickin’ It With Santiago Hernandez, Men’s Soccer Manager

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Coming from Talladega, Alabama, is PUC’s Men’s Soccer manager, Santiago Hernandez. Majoring in Religion, with an emphasis in Health Professions, school keeps him busy but that didn’t stop him from becoming interested in his position as soccer manager. Santiago knew he wanted to help coaches be ready during practices and be a part of the journey of creating a better team, sharing great memories, and making new friends through soccer. 

Tell us about being a team manager. What does a typical day on the job look like?

Being a team manager has been fun. If there are 2 practices in a day, there is a morning session (2 hours) and then an evening session (2 hours). Some morning sessions are used for soccer athletes to be in the weight room for strength and conditioning for approximately 1 hour, and then the second hour of the session is used for futsal (indoor soccer). The general typical day on the job, if the sessions are at the soccer field, then I arrive at work 30 minutes before the session starts to set up for practices. I bring the mannequins, ball bags, training pinnies, cones, and fill up the water jug in order to ensure soccer athletes can stay hydrated while at practice. During practice, I may help with some of the training drills, or maybe standing behind the goals and collecting any balls that may go past the goal in order to make sure no ball is lost and to make sure there is always plenty for practice. Once practices have ended, I stay approximately an extra 30 minutes to clean up, put all the training gear back into the storage room and pick up any trash that may be around the field.

Can you share some examples of how you keep your athletes motivated during the season?

One of the things I do most is follow up on the athletes throughout the season, that may be once a week, or once every 2 weeks. I will have conversations with them and ask how they feel, after game day, talk to them and ask how they were feeling during the game, and just find ways to improve. I feel that by talking and listening to them, it keeps them motivated cause it shows that I care and support them. I may give them advice at times, not only that may be needed for the game, but also for life. Another way to keep them motivated is to ask them what goals or objectives they want to accomplish for each game, and for the season. Letting them know that if they need my help with anything is also another way to keep them motivated as I remind them of the goals each individual wants to accomplish and merging that with the team goals.

What is your favorite thing about being team manager?

Being a part of this journey, helping create a better program, and being able to enjoy great experiences with the team. 

What do you like most about being part of the Pioneers family?

The diversity of the Pioneers family is one of the things I like most. Seeing different people of different backgrounds, and just coming together not just as a team, but becoming a family is one of the things that excites me most and knowing that each member of this family is willing to work excites me and makes me have a desire to work harder everyday.

What advice do you have for someone interested in being a team manager? What skills are needed? 

An advice I would give someone if he or she is interested in being a team manager is to be willing to work everyday. Do more than what you are expected to do. Some skills that are needed would be a strong work ethic, punctuality, willingness to possibly do extra work, good communication skills with coaching staff and athletes, and I think it’s better as a team manager to know how to play the sport so you can help athletes if they need extra help outside of practice hours

What are the values of your team?

Some of the values my team has is that they are determined, passionate, eager to win, and have a great work ethic. 

Describe being a team manager in three words

Fun, exciting, enjoyable

Explore World Languages at PUC With Sylvia Rasi Gregorutti 

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Sylvia Rasi Gregorutti, also known as Professoressa Gregorutti to her students, has been teaching at PUC since 1993. She was chair for about 20 years and is now the associate chair of the Department of Communication and World Languages, since their departments merged in 2019.

One of her favorite things about teaching is seeing students study abroad and hearing about their unforgettable experiences. She loves being involved in ACA (Adventist College Abroad) and seeing how it changes students’ lives. Sylvia generously answered some questions for us to learn more about the Department of World Languages.

What makes your department unique compared to other departments at PUC?

World Languages has collaborative relationships with many departments on campus, and most of our students are double majors or are working on an Allied Health degree or some type of pre-professional program. We strongly encourage getting the most out of the college experience and our majors are easy to combine with many others. The one thing that makes us unique among departments: Nearly 100% of our World Languages majors spend a year of their college experience studying in another country. Top choices are Spain, Italy, France, Argentina, Austria, Lebanon, and other countries have also been hosts to PUC students. There are actually students who are heading abroad even as I type this. I’m praying for their safe travels. After personally sending about a thousand students abroad, I can confidently say ACA is hands down the best year out of their college experience. Also, it’s ACA for * ALL * In other words, you don’t have to be a major in World Languages to go abroad — though we do make it really appealing to major in one of our degrees! The year abroad is transformative to so many – it confirms your career choice or helps you see who you are and choose better. It’s also one of the greatest regrets of those who didn’t make time for it during their college years.

What makes your department unique compared to the same program at other colleges and universities?

This one’s easy! Compared to our sister institutions, at PUC’s World Languages Dept., you can complete a major in Language & Culture Studies with an emphasis in Italian, German, Arabic, French, or Portuguese in addition to the more common Spanish. One of the courses we offer in the L&C major is Language, Culture, and Humanitarian Issues — great for students aiming for international humanitarian work. We also offer a major in Spanish Studies that’s especially relevant to future educators. Compared to larger institutions, we provide abundant one-on-one time. We have a comfortable student lounge next to our offices and classrooms where we get together to talk and sometimes worship together. In true World Languages style, our lounge is open to all.

What is something new students can look forward to about joining your department?

World Languages is a very welcoming department. We actively celebrate variety. Diversity is in our very DNA – we not only accept it, we revel in it and encourage its proliferation! New students to our department can expect to be embraced, seen, and heard. We agree with French philosopher Chateaubriand who observed that each person “carries within himself a world.” We’re eager to benefit from the ‘worlds” our students bring to our campus. Our aim is to enrich them with knowledge of other languages and cultures, and different ways of seeing the world. Critical thinking expands by quantum leaps when you understand different ways of solving human problems and needs: What to eat, what to wear, what shelter to build, how to interact, and what to value – the solutions vary around the world.

What is your favorite thing about teaching in your department?

There are so many things I enjoy, but I think my favorite thing about teaching is seeing students decide to go abroad for a year. And then, when they return, it’s fabulous to talk with them in French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese – to hear about their unforgettable experiences, and to see how they have become better versions of themselves, more open to the world, more empathetic, and sure of what they want to do with their lives. That is the single most transformative activity I get to be involved in, and it’s incredibly rewarding. Lifelong international friendships are made and a lifetime of memories, too. In Spanish, we say, “Nadie te puede quitar lo bailado.” No one can take away what you have danced – and the study abroad experience is just that – something you have for life. 

What is your department well known for, and why?

We’re known for our enthusiastic teachers who are native speakers or they have spent time living in the countries whose languages they teach. For students heading abroad, we offer a high-quality orientation prior to departure and support from our home campus during each quarter spent abroad. World Languages is innovative and versatile: In addition to the majors mentioned, we offer introductory Chinese and Korean, and our popular Spanish for Health Care courses, which provides language skills and cultural competence to better serve Spanish-speaking patients, clients, and customers. This year, we’re trying out an intermediate level of this course. We’re also expanding our Spanish for the Professions emphasis to our first beginning Spanish class. Tailoring courses to students’ interests and professional objectives creates greater motivation and makes learning another language more applicable. Our upper-division courses contribute to the rich offerings of our liberal arts college – from my specialty, linguistics, to literature, film, and humanitarian issues. Our aim is to create engaged, competent, and compassionate global citizens.

Learn more about the Department of World Languages on our website. If you have any questions, our admissions team will gladly assist you. Call (800) 862-7080, option 2, or email admissions@puc.edu.