With the 2024-2025 school year about to begin, we want to introduce you to Student Association President Christian J. De Jesus. He is a senior from Manchester, New Hampshire, majoring in business administration with a finance emphasis. 

When Christian visited PUC before officially becoming a student, he knew he made the right choice once he saw the campus. “The friends I have made, the professors I have learned from, the pastors I have met, and the administrators I have spoken to have made me glad to say that I bleed green and gold!” shared Christian.  

What motivated you to run for president? 

The jobs I used to have in the dorms, spiritual life, and my department were great, and I felt comfortable there. I was planning to stay in those jobs for this upcoming year, but as my relationship with Christ grew, I started seeing more clearly why I came to Pacific Union College. 

All my previous roles prepared me to recognize needs that exist in different areas of the college, which will help me make better decisions that can positively impact the student body. I was not seeking this position, but God had other plans, and I just obeyed Him. In short, I wholeheartedly believe it was God’s calling. 

Which of your roles do you find the most important as president?

There are two roles that I find equally important. The first one is being a bridge between the administration and the student body. I find this role very important because it helps me advocate for the needs of the students with their best interests in mind. The second one is leading a team of five talented, intelligent, and motivated leaders to serve our student body the best we can. I love the team I have this year, and I am excited about what we can accomplish with God’s help.

What are your plans for SA and the campus this coming school year?

My vision for SA and the campus is twofold. It revolves around unity and infrastructure. I plan to build more relationships between many departments on campus to establish a stronger community. We cannot, however, establish a stronger community without a foundation to build upon, who is Jesus Christ, and He will be an emphasis on the unity aspect of my vision. 

The second part of the vision is infrastructure. There are infrastructure improvements that can be made with vast budgets. However, my team and I will focus on smaller infrastructure improvements in individual departments to make our college have a physical beauty that matches its natural beauty. 

What do you hope to accomplish as SA president? 

I have a couple of goals my team and I would like to accomplish, which can be summarized in the Student Association mission statement for this year: “To uphold a Christ-centered, lively, ongoing community.” 

We picked the word ‘community’ because we want PUC to be more than a college. We want it to be a student’s home away from home– a place where they can find a family that welcomes them. 

We picked the word ‘ongoing’ because we want our impact and mission to go beyond this next school year so that it can inspire the next SA team in their leadership and that our results go beyond what we accomplish in a year. 

We picked ‘lively’ because we want to bring excitement and enthusiasm to all events every quarter, especially winter quarter. We want people to invite their friends to events and have fun because college is where memories are made for a lifetime. 

Lastly, the most important one stretches further than next year or even ten years from now. Having a Christ-centered community means that we care and are not only interested in the next couple of years but interested in eternal matters. Without Christ, my team and I will not be able to make the change we wish to make on our campus. Jesus at the center of our student body is what our church pioneers envisioned with PUC, and my team and I will honor that. He is the foundation we build a lively, ongoing community, and with God, nothing is impossible.

What are you looking forward to in being a part of SA? 

I look forward to leading a team of bright, willing, and competent individuals. Justin Taina is my Executive Vice President, and he is dutiful, organized, and logical, which will help with any logistics we come up against. Leila Beltran is my Religious Vice President, and she is friendly, energetic, and spiritual, which will help expand the network of our team and offer spiritual support in times of hardship. 

Olivia Newman, my Financial Vice President, is accurate, inquisitive, and responsible, which will help manage our finances and stay within budget. Bethanee Tabura is my Social Vice President, and she is accommodating, vision-focused, and understanding, which will help curate events and give emotional support to our team. Jayda Hamilton is my Marketing & Publications Vice President and is solution-oriented, rational, and innovative. 

All my team members, including the Director of Student Life, Sharleen Bouit, are crucial in helping serve our student body, and I am excited to work with all of them!

How can the PUC community support you and your team? 

The best support I can ask of the PUC community is for their prayers. We need prayers so that we may have wisdom in our decision-making to serve our student body to the best of our ability. Another great way to support this is by attending our events and helping our campus stay connected.

How can students have their voices and concerns heard by SA leaders?

It is one of our top priorities to interact and build stronger relationships with the student body as a whole. We want to be as accessible as possible! Whatever channel it may be, whether email or in-person, we want to be available to hear the needs of the students and help them in any way we can!

What are your favorite things about PUC? 

I love the nature on campus! The trees, flowers, and bushes give PUC a beautiful, heavenly atmosphere. There is much evidence around me to remind me of my Wonderful Creator. I also deeply appreciate the people I meet here. I have found friends that I now call family. It is amazing to meet people from different walks of life who have the same love for Christ as I do and have different perspectives I can learn from!