Dear PUC,

Courtesy of the inevitable, a new year is here. With this new year, we are given new chances–choices. You may choose just about anything under the sun–you have my permission. But! Let’s chat about what that might look like for you. 

Say, last year went well for you: will you do it all over again? or perhaps add a new challenge or hobby to spice things up? Or was it just “well,” and you’d really like to make this year great? Or say maybe last year didn’t go so well: are you going to do it all over again, afraid you’re not strong enough to make this year better? Or might you be scrapping your old routine, determined to make this year worth something? Or would you rather start this year using everything you have and decide on the rest later? You choose; you’re allowed that much, at least.  

But the time has come, and reality is setting in. What you chose is what you planned, and while you’re young, you’re old enough to know plans fail. I’m a planner, so I’m just as disappointed as you are. I’m no crazy planner– I just feel much safer, relaxed, and very cozy when everything is, well, planned. But when the plan fails, buckles at the knees, slips out from beneath you, crumbles on-site, flips upside down, laughs back at you, dissolves in the rain, or snaps in half, what do you do? 

When you planned for this year to be different, to be more interesting, to be more peaceful, to be more fun, to be more daring, to be more safe, to be more consistent, to be more crazy, or just better, and it’s just not happening the way you chose or the way you planned, what do you do? Ah, again, you choose because you’re allowed that much, at least.  

Regardless of what life throws at you or whatever cards you are dealt, you will always have a choice. The “right” choices might not be clear, but at least the choice is yours. So, choose. Choose what it is you need to choose. Expect turbulence, unforeseen circumstances, or unexpected rain to come, and when it inevitably does, choose what’s next.  

Our campus has been growing tremendously. While the numbers are up, there’s much more to this growth, something deeper and fuller. I’ve felt and grown alongside it since I started my freshman year here. I’d like to say I was a small part of it and helped catalyze just a piece of this growth — not because of one thing I did or some grand change I made, but because of a series of choices. 

While PUC had much of what I wanted, I chose to add where I could. While my life was already good, I chose to add more people who have made my life richer. While I was left exhausted at times, I chose to invest in programs I believed in. And from those choices came beautiful things and incredible experiences. 

While you can most certainly choose to follow along and just ride the high, you can also choose to carve out a piece of PUC, invest in it as your own, and leave it better than it was before, making PUC all the better thanks to you. While the world will never be perfect or fair, it’s your choices that make it real, make it great, and make it yours. While this campus won’t be perfect or feel at times unfair, it’s our choices that make it real, make it great, and make it ours.  

So, choose! This campus thrives on your choices. And whatever it is you choose, be proud that it’s real, be proud that it’s great, be proud that it’s yours. I can’t wait to taste and see what He can do through you.  

-Bethanee Tabura 

Student Association President ’25-‘26