Orientation Brings Service to Solano County
Over 460 Incoming Students Serve Non-Profits Across Vallejo, Fairfield, and Benicia During Day of Service
Touro University California welcomed new students to campus for the 4th annual Day of Service. With over 460 students participating in service projects totaling over 900 hours of volunteer work, this powerful tradition embodies TUC’s vision of “To Serve, To Lead, To Teach”.
The Day of Service is much more than an orientation activity; it’s a call to action and a reminder to all students that they are not at TUC just to learn but to become leaders and changemakers within their communities.
Serving Across Solano County
After a morning of meeting fresh faces across all incoming programs and getting to know the campus, students spread out across 14 service sites in Vallejo, Fairfield, and Benicia, partnering with local nonprofits to support causes ranging from food justice and environmental stewardship to senior care and animal welfare. These hours of service not only benefit the organizations but also help students connect with the communities they’ll serve throughout their careers.
Vallejo People’s Garden was one site where a hay day (literally spreading hay amongst the garden beds) was had. Whether prepping, planting, and covering garden beds, creating succulent gardens, digging up roots, or painting decks, students scattered across all areas of the property to put in the work needed to bring life back to the garden grounds.
Student Stories: Legacy and Leadership
Among the many memorable moments was a special encounter at the Solano Land Trust site, where incoming DO 2029 candidate Lena Luc met fellow volunteers. Lena is a legacy student whose mother entered TUC’s College of Osteopathic Medicine when Lena was 3 months old and graduated in 2007.
Lena Luc said her mother’s experience in medical school resonated with her.
“It was just really magical to grow up with stories, hearing how supported she was as a single mother going to medical school and everything,” Lena Luc said. “And I remember thinking, if I ever want to go to medical school, I think Touro is the best place that can support me because I have first-hand anecdotal evidence that they’re really good at doing that.”
A Year of Firsts
This year marks a historic milestone for TUC: the arrival of the first cohort of students in the A.A.S. Radiologic Technology program. These pioneering students joined their peers in service, symbolizing the university’s continued growth and commitment to preparing healthcare professionals across disciplines.
Lasting Welcome Messages
Incoming students congregated in the Lander Hall auditorium, where Orientation Day officially kicked off on Wednesday, July 30. Accompanied by other heads of the TUC campus Patti Salkin, JD, Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs, Provost, Graduate and Professional Divisions at Touro University gave students some words to live by when heading into their academic and medical journey.
“Your time at Touro is not about groups and factions; this is about everyone working together to support each other,” Salkin said. “Our lives are too short; we have got to take care of one another just like the professions many of you have picked in coming here.”
Salkin’s words offered encouragement to lift those who may be struggling or may just need the push to get involved. Her second statement had the whole room in an uproar.
“My claim to fame is not that I am the Senior VP for Academic Affairs and the Provost, as I was introduced as.” Salkin went on to ask the room if anyone had a world record, a question that quieted the already silent room. “Well, my claim to fame, in 1986, I was in the Guinness Book of World Records for organizing the world’s largest game of musical chairs... That’s an example of what a university student can do. When you work hard, you can also play hard!”
Dr. Tami Hendriksz, Campus Provost, CAO, and Dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine, welcomed and connected with students with words that stuck with many throughout the day.
“Medical school and your time here is the middle part of the hourglass of life. Classmates, faculty, and staff are here to support you through that, but as you complete your program, your world opens up again to be able to go and make your impact on the world,” Said Dr. Hendriksz, who is an alumna of the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program in 2006.
Dr. Hendriksz finished with the notion of “finding your why” while going through the day of service activities. To let that “why” guide them through their schooling and to be a reminder of what they are at TUC to accomplish.