PACIFIC UNION COLLEGE JANUARY 2015 A PORTRAIT^ ] OF MY MENTOR Six stories of guidance & inspiration A Home on Mentoring Goes Friendships and Mana Island 04 Mobile 08 Faith 15 PACIFIC UNION COLLEGE • JANUARY 2015 president’s message STAFF Editor Cambria Wheeler, ’08 [email protected] Layout and Design Haley Wesley A Campus Built for Mentorship [email protected] Art Director Cliff Rusch, ’80 [email protected] Walk across campus during any school day and Most of all, this dedication means that students Photographers Allison Regan, ’15; Haley you’ll see the incredible teaching and learning that are known, remembered, and prayed for by their Wesley; Mackenzie White, ’17. happens at Pacific Union College. I don’t refer to teachers in all disciplines. These prayers can result Contributors David Bell; Herb Ford, ’54; the classrooms (though of course, it happens there), in wonderful blessings such as the baptism of Sonia Lee Ha, ’92; Scott Herbert; Michael Lawrence, ‘17; Emily Mathe, ’16; Amanda but the offices. With open doors and comfortable sisters Crystal and Tina Lin last year. Through the Navarrete, ’15; Darin West, ’11; Midori chairs, professors invite students in to meet with mentorship of faculty and the PUC Church com- Yoshimura, ’12. them one-on-one every day. While the students munity, these two students chose to dedicate their PUC ADMINISTRATION stop by to ask questions about the subject matter lives to Christ (see page 15). in their classes, just as often they go to their profes- President Heather J. Knight, Ph.D. sors for conversations about life, about faith, and With the highest on-campus enrollment in 19 Vice President for Academic Administration “It is important Nancy Lecourt, Ph.D. about tough decisions. years, maintaining small class sizes and growing Vice President for Financial Administration to the college’s our faculty with dedicated Seventh-day Adventist Dave C. Lawrence, MBA, Ed.D. administration that This is why I see PUC’s 13-to-1 student-teacher professors is even more important. In the past year, Vice President for Asset Management ratio as such a valuable number. This fall, Pacific we have been able to add faculty positions in many John Collins, ’70, Ed.D. the small student- Union College welcomed 1,674 students to our of our thriving departments, including biology, Vice President for Student Services community of faith and learning. Those students education, nursing, and visual arts. It is important Lisa Bissell Paulson, Ed.D. teacher ratio— aren’t filling large lecture halls, but small seminar to the college’s administration that the small Vice President for Advancement and Alumni 10 Portrait of My Mentor Relations Walter E. Collins, B.A. rooms. It’s not unusual for a PUC class to have less student-teacher ratio—and the personal relation- and the personal Vice President for Enrollment Management Stories of guidance and inspiration than ten students. PUC students will be engaging ships small classes foster—is maintained as PUC and Marketing relationships small in the discussions, critical thinking, and hands- continues to grow. Jennifer Tyner, M.A. on learning that are the best practices in higher classes foster—is education today. Of course, these personal relationships aren’t CONTACT US limited to student-faculty interactions. There Post ViewPoint Editor Features Departments maintained as PUC Pacific Union College What does a 13-to-1 ratio mean for learning are many of these examples of ministry through One Angwin Avenue 04 Home on Mana Island 02 President’s Message continues to grow.” at PUC? It means access to opportunities that mentorship happening each day in all areas of Angwin, CA 94508-9797 students would likely not have at larger universi- campus life. In this issue, you’ll read about six Building friendships 16 College News ties, especially on the undergraduate level. This such mentoring relationships at PUC. As you do, I E-mail [email protected] 20 summer, students participated in research and invite you to think back on your own personal and Phone (707) 965-6303 08 Mentoring Goes Mobile PUC in Pictures presented at two prestigious conferences with professional mentors. Who were the people who Fax (707) 965-7101 23 Alumni News Professor of Physics Vola Andraianarijaona. When provided guidance during the pivotal moments Alumni Office Alums develop app he wasn’t leading the Field Biology class in Alaska in your development? I’ll be writing to thank my (707) 965-7500 26 Leave a Legacy (see page 16), Floyd Hayes, a Fulbright Scholar, own mentors for their dedication to my success, www.puc.edu/alumni/viewpoint 15 Friendships and Faith partnered with students to conduct research in and I invite you to do the same. 29 Back in the Day Micronesia and closer to home on Clear Lake. Our Vision Statement: ViewPoint, the journal of Leading students to baptism psychology and communication majors have “My professor knew my name.” To me this is a pow- Pacific Union College, connects PUC’s 30 The Interview alumni and friends in a community that continued their tradition of excellence in research erful endorsement of Pacific Union College, and it celebrates the college’s activities and 31 My ViewPoint and took top awards at the Western Psychology is one I hear often from alumni. While it is a bless- stories, and supports the continuation Association and National Communication Associa- ing to be known by name by those around you, of its mission into the future. ViewPoint aims to provide quality features about tion again in recent months. how much greater is the blessing of being known topics relevant to our community; news On the Cover by the Ruler of the universe. God tells us “Fear not, about the college and alumni; and means PACIFIC UNION COLLEGE JANUARY 2015 to unite, motivate and inspire. At the Friends of Walter While they already carry significant teaching for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by Utt meeting during loads, many of our faculty members add another name; you are mine” (Isaiah 43:1, NIV). Homecoming 2012, a responsibility by working one-on-one with Produced quarterly by the Pacific Union College Office of Public Relations for portrait of the legendary A PORTRAIT^ ] students outside of class on individual projects, OF the alumni and friends of the college. MY MENTOR professor by Wesley Kime, Six stories of guidance including music compositions, screenplays, or & inspiration M.D. was unveiled. independent studies on a number of topics. The dedication to undergraduate education, to the Heather J. Knight, Ph.D. ©2015, Pacific Union College potential and possibility of each student, is President Printed in U.S.A. inspiring and a hallmark of a PUC education. Volume 38 no. 1 2 ViewPoint | January 2015 ViewPoint | January 2015 3 eturning to America bearing postcard- like pictures of the white sand beaches and R stories of snorkeling in pristine teal waters A Home on may cause some to wonder if students were return- ing from an exotic vacation rather than a mission trip. However, the natural beauty of God’s creation was far less significant than the dedicated work and inspirational ministry that took place this past Mana Island August. The journey began August 19 at Los Angeles In- ternational Airport, where eight Pacific Union Col- Students build a lege students led by Fabio Maia chose to forgo the remaining weeks of their summer for mission work. They traveled thousands of miles away from home house and friendships to make a difference on the beautiful Fijian island of Mana, located just east of the main island Denarau. “I went to Fiji to reconnect with my God through in Fiji service,” said Juan Hidalgo, one of the student mis- Michael Lawrence and Emily Mathe sionaries. Here they would spend the next fourteen days on a construction project. The group would work together with current student missionaries Arielle Medina, Josie Herman, and Jessica Aldred to com- plete the project. Also joining the group were recent PUC nursing graduates Callie Sappenfield and Tori Fode, who led their own mission to raise awareness of the importance of hygiene. Work began when a barge bearing all the supplies arrived on the sandy beach. Supplies were brought to shore through lines formed by all members of the village, from toddlers to the elderly. This prolific display of teamwork helped cut the time of not only this task, but also the countless other jobs that were necessary to construct the house. When construc- tion began, children of the village would rush out of their beds to the construction site early in the morn- ing, eager to help. Toiling away into the late hours, other members of the village took whatever time out of their days they could to roll back their sleeves and help. Hammering away for hours on a miniscule island in the Pacific brought the group lots of attention. Ulrich Hoffgen, manager of Mana Island Resort, heard about the work of the PUC students and pro- 4 ViewPoint | January 2015 ViewPoint | January 2015 5 Staying to Serve As the first student missionaries to serve on Mana Island, Jessica Allred, kids adjusting and improving which is beyond rewarding. I teach seventh Josie Herman (a pre-physical therapy student from Angwin), Arielle grade, though my students vary in education, with one student who is Medina, and Elise Moore are experiencing a unique adventure this year. probably at the second grade level. It's sad to think about, but it is inspiring The four are serving as teachers at the Adventist school on the island, a to see their potential! I pray God can use me to bring the best out of Kindergarten-eighth grade school that before had only had two teachers.